Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
RazakSAT
open-in-new
<h2 id="background">Background</h2> <p>This satellite is Malaysia's second <a href="/facts/Remote_sensing/pj2crmGs">remote sensing</a> satellite after <a href="/facts/TiungSAT-1/9mnIPLgq">TiungSAT-1</a>. </p><p>Originally called MACSAT, RazakSAT's payload is mainly <a href="/facts/Electro-optical/NQrjpjLX">electro-optical</a>, carrying a Medium-sized Aperture Camera (MAC) which is a <a href="/facts/Pushbroom_camera/jgGG9C8w">pushbroom camera</a> with five linear detectors (one <a href="/facts/Panchromatic/KfprYl5K">panchromatic</a>, four <a href="/facts/Multi-spectral_image/XIJEawxe">multi-spectral</a>) weighing approximately 50 kg. The entire satellite weighs at about 180 kg.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="launch">Launch</h2> <p><a href="/facts/SpaceX/2tKHsVdJ">SpaceX</a> launched RazakSAT at 03:35 UTC on 14 July 2009 using a <a href="/facts/Falcon_1/F4DBbpCS">Falcon 1</a> rocket. This was the fifth flight of a Falcon 1, and like the previous flights lift-off was from <a href="/facts/Omelek_Island/FxyAKgsL">Omelek Island</a> in the Kwajalein Atoll. At 05:25 UTC <a href="/facts/Elon_Musk/GFgcp9Im">Elon Musk</a>, founder and CEO of SpaceX, told a reporter the launch had been a success. "We nailed the orbit to well within target parameters...pretty much a bullseye." Musk said.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="operations">Operations</h2> <p>RazakSAT's mission plan was carried out by engineers from <a href="/facts/Astronautic_Technology_Sdn_Bhd/e80el2Bg">Astronautic Technology Sdn Bhd (ATSB)</a>. This was especially important because Malaysia is usually covered by the equatorial cloud bands. Normal Sun-synchronous optical satellites, which may revisit an area only once every 7 days, will almost never be able to see the ground during their pass. As a result, much optical satellite imagery of Malaysia have more than 50% cloud cover within the image's footprint. </p><p>Razaksat, on the other hand, revisited some parts of Malaysian territory every 90 minutes, potentially maximising its ability to exploit gaps in the clouds. </p><p>RazakSAT, equipped with a high resolution Medium-Sized Aperture Camera (MAC), achieved the intended Near-Equatorial Low Earth Orbit (NEqO) at 685 km altitude and a 9 degree inclination. It was expected to provide high resolution images of Malaysia that can be applied to land management, resource development and forestry.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> </p><p>The NEqO orbit has three distinct disadvantages. Analysis through the commercially available <a href="/facts/Satellite_Tool_Kit/8o65c55E">Satellite Tool Kit</a> (STK) software had shown that the orbit revisit over Malaysia was found to have a maximum peak of 2-4 overpasses per day during daylight hours (from 8 am to 6:30 pm) to a period of 6 consecutive days without any usable daylight overpasses. The second disadvantage is that most imagery acquired through the NEqO orbit are not usable through a remote sensing perspective as the NEqO orbit is not a <a href="/facts/Sun-synchronous_orbit/3HonupUd">Sun-synchronous orbit</a>, a vital criterion for monitoring and analysis work. Thirdly, it was found that the NEqO orbit exposes the satellite to the <a href="/facts/South_Atlantic_Anomaly/j5lUGjh3">South Atlantic Anomaly</a> (SAA) phenomenon on every orbit it takes around the Earth unlike the <a href="/facts/Polar_orbit/JLUlIPlq">polar orbit</a>, near-polar or Sun-synchronous orbits, thereby further increasing the risk of radiation damage to the satellite. </p><p>Although it was originally intended as a Research & Development (R&D) project but it was later announced for commercial purposes in 2009,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> the aim of the RazakSAT project was asserted as a Research & Development (R&D) Project in 2010.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> </p><p>During its operations after its launch in 2009, it was discovered that the RazakSAT satellite could not achieve its targeted pointing accuracy of within 1 km of its intended target. The Malaysian English newspaper <i>The Star</i>, quoting from the Malaysian Government Auditor-General's Report 2010, reported that the images that were acquired by the RazakSAT satellite was found to be 37 km off their intended target.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> </p><p>As a result of the pointing error, all of the over 1,328 images acquired by the satellite were rendered unusable. Despite a promise of delivering MAC images by 2010, as of the end of 2023, the operators have not released any images. Efforts to fix the problems with the satellite were terminated in December 2010.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="specifications">Specifications</h2> <p>The major specification of RazakSAT, as provided by the satellites' builder and operator (ATSB) in February 2010, are:<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> </p> <table><tbody><tr><th>Subsystems</th><th>Specifications</th></tr><tr><th>Altitude</th><td>685 km</td></tr><tr><th>Inclination</th><td>9°</td></tr><tr><th>Payload (MAC)</th><td>GSD : 2.5 m (PAN), 5 m (MS)Swathwidth : 20 km @ 685 km</td></tr><tr><th>Attitude Determination & Control Subsystem (ADCS)</th><td>Three-axis stabilization based on four reaction wheelsPointing Accuracy : < 0.2° (2 s)Pointing Knowledge : 1 arcmin (2 s)</td></tr><tr><th>Electrical Power Subsystem (EPS)</th><td>GaAs/Ge solar cells on honeycomb substrateNiCd batteries (18 Ahr)Peak Power Tracking (PPT) & constant current controlSolar Power : >300 W @ EOL</td></tr><tr><th>Command & Data Handling Subsystem (C&DH)</th><td>Two on-board computersTelemetry and command interface modulesAnalog Telemetry channels : up to 90Digital Telemetry channels : up to 120</td></tr><tr><th>Telecommunication Subsystem (TS)</th><td>9,600 bit/s / 1,200 bit/s S-band TT&C uplink38.4 kbs / 9,600 bit/s / 1,200 bit/s S-band TT&C downlink</td></tr><tr><th>Payload Data Management</th><td>32 Gbit On-board solid-state memory30 Mbit/s <a href="/facts/X_band/eMpD5T2r">X band</a> payload data downlink</td></tr><tr><th>Structure & Thermal</th><td>Ø1,200 × 1,200 mm Hexagonal shapeMass : 180 kgModular structurePassive & Active thermal control</td></tr><tr><th>Mission Lifetime</th><td>3 Years</td></tr></tbody></table> <h3>Satellite bus</h3> <p>The <a href="/facts/Satellite_bus/UMlFYAUY">satellite bus</a> used for RazakSAT was jointly developed by ATSB and <a href="/facts/Satrec_Initiative/WATkWQhB">Satrec Initiative</a>, a commercial satellite manufacturer in Korea. Satrec Initiative markets the bus system as the "<a href="/facts/SI-200/40UEh0oo">SI-200</a>".<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul> <li>Spaceflight portal</li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/facts/DubaiSat-1/r5DPr9ab">DubaiSat-1</a></li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20090713000634/http://www.atsb.my/index.php/project/space-systems/razaksatr.html">"ATSB®"</a>. atsb.my. Archived from <a href="http://www.atsb.my/index.php/project/space-systems/razaksatr.html">the original</a> on 2009-07-13. Retrieved 2014-09-13.</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070927185734/http://www.asmmag.com/ASM/content/2006/ASM_032/main_news_5.html">"ASM - 17 May 2006"</a>. Archived from <a href="http://www.asmmag.com/ASM/content/2006/ASM_032/main_news_5.html">the original</a> on September 27, 2007. Retrieved 2014-09-13.</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20090504213727/http://www.mosti.gov.my/mosti/">https://web.archive.org/web/20090504213727/http://www.mosti.gov.my/mosti/</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20090325052952/http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2009%2F3%2F22%2Fnation%2F3534086&sec=nation">RazakSAT first images. <i>Click</i> MOSTI Gallery > Year 2009 > Galeri Gambar Pelancaran RazakSAT</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20090825132759/http://www.mosti.gov.my/mosti/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1623&Itemid=572">"Selamat Datang Ke Laman Web Rasmi Kementerian Sains Teknologi dan Inovasi - Gambar-Gambar Pelancaran RazakSAT"</a>. Archived from <a href="http://www.mosti.gov.my/mosti/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1623&Itemid=572">the original</a> on 2009-08-25. Retrieved 2014-09-13.</li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>"Falcon 1 Flight 5". SpaceX. Archived from the original on 2011-01-04. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110104054341/http://www.spacex.com/F1-005.php" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20110104054341/http://www.spacex.com/F1-005.php</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>"RM142m RazakSAT faulty after just one year, says federal auditor - The Malaysian Insider". themalaysianinsider.com. Archived from the original on 2014-10-14. Retrieved 2014-09-13. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20141014203711/http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/rm142m-razaksat-faulty-after-just-one-year-says-federal-auditor/" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20141014203711/http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/rm142m-razaksat-faulty-after-just-one-year-says-federal-auditor/</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>"Inside Razaksat". Magazine article. Asian Surveying and Mapping. 2008-04-07. Archived from the original on 2009-03-28. Retrieved 2009-07-28. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20090328121505/http://www.asmmag.com/features/inside-razaksat" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20090328121505/http://www.asmmag.com/features/inside-razaksat</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>"Falcon Launch Report". Spaceflight Now. <a href="http://www.spaceflightnow.com/falcon/005/status.html" target="_blank">http://www.spaceflightnow.com/falcon/005/status.html</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>"Falcon 1 Flight 5". SpaceX. Archived from the original on 2011-01-04. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110104054341/http://www.spacex.com/F1-005.php" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20110104054341/http://www.spacex.com/F1-005.php</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>"Archives | The Star Online". thestar.com.my. Archived from the original on 2009-03-25. Retrieved 2014-09-13. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20090325052952/http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2009%2F3%2F22%2Fnation%2F3534086&sec=nation" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20090325052952/http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2009%2F3%2F22%2Fnation%2F3534086&sec=nation</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>"RM142m RazakSAT faulty after just one year, says federal auditor - The Malaysian Insider". themalaysianinsider.com. Archived from the original on 2014-10-14. Retrieved 2014-09-13. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20141014203711/http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/rm142m-razaksat-faulty-after-just-one-year-says-federal-auditor/" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20141014203711/http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/rm142m-razaksat-faulty-after-just-one-year-says-federal-auditor/</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>"RM142mil satellite is 37km off target" Archived 2011-10-27 at the Wayback Machine (The Star, Nation, page 4, 25 October 2011) <a href="http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/10/25/nation/9767688&sec=nation" target="_blank">http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/10/25/nation/9767688&sec=nation</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>"RM142m RazakSAT faulty after just one year, says federal auditor" Archived 2014-10-14 at the Wayback Machine dated 25 October 2011 (Shannon Teoh, Malaysian Insider, 25 October 2011). <a href="http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/rm142m-razaksat-faulty-after-just-one-year-says-federal-auditor/" target="_blank">http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/rm142m-razaksat-faulty-after-just-one-year-says-federal-auditor/</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>RazakSAT - The High Resolution Earth Observation Satellite - Specification, ATSB website, web page date uncertain, retrieved 2010-02-11. <a href="http://www.atsb.my/" target="_blank">http://www.atsb.my/</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>"SI-200". Satrec Initiative. Archived from the original on 2009-01-05. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20090105180125/http://www.satreci.com/eng/products/products_01.htm" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20090105180125/http://www.satreci.com/eng/products/products_01.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>