UiTMSAT-1

{{short description|First nanosatellite Malaysian spacecraft}}

{{Use British English|date=September 2020}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}

{{Infobox spaceflight

| name = UiTMSAT-1

| names_list =

| image = UiTMSAT-1 in space (Iss056e130490) (cropped).jpg

| image_caption = UiTMSAT-1 in Space

| mission_type = Technology demonstration

| operator = Universiti Teknologi MARA

| COSPAR_ID = 1998-067PD

| SATCAT = 43589

| website = {{URL|birds2.birds-project.com}}

| mission_duration = 6-9 months (planned)

| spacecraft_type = 1U CubeSat

| manufacturer = Universiti Teknologi MARA

| launch_mass = 1.11 kg

| dimensions = 10 × 10 × 10 cm

| power =

| launch_date = 29 June 2018, 09:42 UTC

| launch_rocket = Falcon 9 Full Thrust

| launch_site = Cape Canaveral, SLC-40

| launch_contractor = SpaceX

| deployment_from = International Space Station

| deployment_date = 10 August 2018

| disposal_type =

| decay_date = 20 November 2020

| orbit_reference = Geocentric orbit

| orbit_regime = Low Earth orbit

| orbit_periapsis = 398.6 km

| orbit_apoapsis = 407.2 km

| orbit_inclination = 51.6°

| orbit_period = 92.5 minutes

| apsis = gee

| programme = Joint Global Multi-nations Birds Satellite

| previous_mission = Birds-1

| next_mission =

| insignia =

| insignia_caption =

}}

UiTMSAT-1 was a Malaysian nanosatellite, built primarily by Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) as part of the multi-nation Birds-2 project. The 1U CubeSat was launched into space on 29 June 2018 and deployed from the International Space Station (ISS) on 10 August 2018.

Background

Malaysia has had several satellites in orbit, beginning with the MEASAT constellation, first operational in 1996. Their first microsatellite, TiungSAT-1, was launched in 2000.{{cite web|url=https://www.skmm.gov.my/skmmgovmy/media/General/pdf/Satellite_Industry_Developments_compressed.pdf|title=Satellite Industry Developments|issn=1985-0522 |publisher=Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission|year=2008|pages=28–29}}

Development

Planning for the mission began in December 2016 at the Kyushu Institute of Technology (KIT). UiTM postgraduate students Syazana Basyirah Mohammad Zaki and Muhammad Hasif Azami developed the satellite over a 19-month period and collaborated with eight other students from the Philippines, Bhutan, and Japan. This collaboration also inspired the creation of a new Communication Satellite Centre at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM).{{cite web|last1=Mustafa|first1=Zulita|title=UiTMSAT-1 puts Malaysia at the final frontier|url=https://www.nst.com.my/education/2018/07/391936/uitmsat-1-puts-malaysia-final-frontier|website=New Straits Times|access-date=19 December 2018}}

Objectives

Launch and mission

File:Birds-2 on ISS (Iss056e100586).jpg

File:Birds-2 deployed from Kibo (Iss056e130478).jpg

UiTMSAT-1 was launched to space on 29 June 2018 by the Falcon 9 Full Thrust rocket at Cape Canaveral in Florida, United States as part of the SpaceX CRS-15 Commercial Resupply Service mission. Maya-1 and BHUTAN-1, which were also developed under the Birds-2 project, were among the payload of the rocket.{{cite news|last1=Panela|first1=Shaira|title=Philippines launches first CubeSat into space|url=https://www.rappler.com/science-nature/earth-space/206090-philippine-launches-cube-satellite-space-june-29-2018|access-date=4 July 2018|work=Rappler|date=29 June 2018}} All three nanosatellites were deployed from the International Space Station (ISS) and achieved orbit on 10 August 2018.{{cite web|title=CubeSat Maya-1 successfully deployed to space|url=http://pcieerd.dost.gov.ph/news/latest-news/322-ph-cubesat-maya-1-successfully-deployed-to-space|publisher=Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development|access-date=19 December 2018|date=August 31, 2018}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2018/08/400225/uitm-creates-history-launch-satellite-orbit|title=UiTM creates history with launch of satellite into orbit|last=Bernama|date=August 11, 2018|publisher=New Straits Times}}

References