EgyptSat 1

EgyptSat 1 or MisrSat-1 was Egypt's first Earth remote sensing satellite. This satellite was jointly built by Egypt's National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences together with the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau in Ukraine and was launched on board a Dnepr rocket on 17 April 2007 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

EgyptSat 1
EgyptSat 1 (left) and Saudi Sat 3 (right)
Mission typeRemote sensing
OperatorNARSS
COSPAR ID2007-012A[1]
SATCAT no.31117[1]
Websitewww.narss.sci.eg
Mission durationPlanned: 5 years;
Achieved: 3 years, 3 months, 2 days
Spacecraft properties
BusMS-1TK[2]
ManufacturerYuzhnoye Design Bureau
Launch mass165 kilograms (364 lb)[3][4]
Power65 watts[5]
Start of mission
Launch dateApril 17, 2007, 07:02 (2007-04-17UTC07:02Z) UTC
RocketDnepr
Launch siteBaikonur 109/95
ContractorISC Kosmotras
End of mission
Last contactJuly 19, 2010 (2010-07-20)[6]
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeSun-Synchronous
Perigee altitude658 kilometres (409 mi)[7]
Apogee altitude666 kilometres (414 mi)[7]
Inclination98.1 degrees[7]
Main Push broom scanner[4]
NameEgyptSat 1
Resolution7.8 metres (26 ft) (MBEI)[4]
39 metres (128 ft) (cross-track) x 46 metres (151 ft) (along-track) (IREI)[4]
EgyptSat
 

The effort was spearheaded by Dr. Aly Sadek, chairman of the Egyptian Council for Space Science and Technology Research. It in many ways was considered a huge step for the Egyptians since it marked the first time they opted for technology transfer during the manufacturing the satellite rather than simply purchasing one (as in case of the Nilesat satellites). On 23 October 2010, the National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences announced that control and communication with the satellite had been lost since July 2010.[8][9][10]

History

In 2001, Egypt posted an international tender for the development of the first Egyptian satellite for the observation and remote sensing and bidders from Ukraine, UK, Russia, Korea and Italy competed for the deal.[2][11]

on June 26, 2001 KB Yuzhnoe design bureau from Ukraine announced winner and on October 24, a contract had been signed in Egypt.[12]

A consortium consisted of KB Yuzhnoe design bureau and sub-contrators Ukrainian companies:[2][4][12]

  • Yuzhnoye - prime contractor responsible for the platform and the launch
  • Yuzhmash - Scientific Research Institute of Radio Engineering Measurements
  • Khartron-Konsat and Khartron-Yukom - Research and Scientific Production Enterprises
  • KONEX - State Research and Production Enterprise
  • CONECS - responsible for the development of the two optical payloads, the onboard payload command and data handling subsystem, as well as for the development of the data processing in the ground segment
  • Arsenal - optics manufacturing

The Egyptian Space Program

The Egyptian space program in fact started in the 1950s but it was not until the establishment of the Egyptian Space Council in 16/5/1998 and the approval of a year later in 26/5/1999 of the Egyptian Space Program within the National Authority of Remote Sensing and Space Sciences.

Objectives
  • Enabling Egypt to join the Space Technology Age through designing and manufacturing of small research and remote sensing satellites, acquiring technological knowledge and capabilities, and building required infrastructure to achieve self-capability to design & manufactures small satellites
  • Transfer of advanced space technologies in communication, computers, programs, optics, sensors, new materials, command and control and energy to the Egyptian Scientific community.
  • Drive innovation in earth observations and space sciences
  • Utilizing of space technologies & applications in development plans.
  • Acquiring national capabilities in Space Technology disciplines.
  • Establishment of scientific & industrial base in advanced technology fields.
  • Building human resource capabilities for space sciences fields.
  • Coordinating and enhancing the cooperation between the research & industrial centers and space program through a national project
  • To establish a scientific and technological base for space and high technology industries in Egypt and the development of the relevant human capacity and improve local stakeholders in remote sensing applications.
  • To support decision makers in sustainable development by providing space images.

Achievements and future plans
  • EgyptSat 1 Launched successfully on April 17, 2007.
  • EgyptSat 2 with spatial resolution of 5.4 metres (18 ft)[3] was planned to be launched in October 1, 2013 but the launch was put on hold in 2011 following all contact being lost with EgyptSat 1.[13][14] EgyptSat 2 launched into orbit 16 April 2014; last contact with the satellite was April 14, 2015.
  • DesertSat with spatial resolution of 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in)[3] which specialized in identifying and monitoring desert resources[6] is planned to be launched in 2017[15].

The objective of the three satellites is to provide comprehensive images of Egypt.

Equipment

Egyptsat 1 is considered a miniaturized satellite weighing 100 kg and is carrying two devices:

  • An infrared sensing device
  • A high resolution multispectral imager together with store and forward communications payload.

See also

References
  1. "EgyptSat 1". National Space Science Data Center Administration - National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  2. "EgyptSat-1". russianspaceweb.com. Archived from the original on 18 June 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  3. Abd Al-Rahman, Zahraa. "Assessment Of Egyptian Satellite (EGYPT SAT-1) Images For The Production and Updating Of 1:25000 Planimetric Maps" (PDF). Association of American Geographers. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  4. Kramer, Herbert J. "EgyptSat-1". eoPortal Directory. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-03-08. Retrieved 2013-08-19.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. http://www.unidir.ch/files/conferences/pdfs/emerging-space-leaders-what-are-the-space-security-concerns-of-rising-space-powers-and-what-do-they-bring-to-multilateral-initiatives-en-1-838.pdf
  7. "EgyptSat 1". National Space Science Data Center Administration (Goddard Space Flight Center). National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  8. http://www.almasryalyoum.com/news/%D8%A7%D8%AE%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D9%85%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B5%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B9%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%B1%D9%8A-%C2%AB%D8%A5%D9%8A%D8%AC%D9%8A%D8%A8%D8%AA-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%AA-1%C2%BB
  9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-10-28. Retrieved 2010-10-25.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-10-26. Retrieved 2010-10-25.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. "Russian application satellites - Ukraine to build satellite for Egypt". russianspaceweb.com. Archived from the original on 7 October 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  12. "Ukraine's Space Program". Moscow Defense Brief. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  13. "Page redirection". Archived from the original on 2013-02-03.
  14. "EgyptSat 2 (MisrSat 2)".
  15. http://www.freedominion.com.pa/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=1011884
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