Singapore's first satellite in the pink of health

Scientists, researchers and students from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have established contact with X-SAT, Singapore's first micro-satellite in space, and obtained a healthy communication link which ascertains that all its core systems are working normally.

In less than 10 hours after the launch of the satellite on board India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C16, the X-SAT team made the first successful contact with the experimental micro-satellite from the mission control station at NTU's Research Techno Plaza at 10:06pm (Singapore time) on 20 April 2011.

Over the past few days, the team members have been checking and confirming the health status of the satellite in space. The telemetry received from the satellite showed that X-SAT is in good working condition. The solar panels have since been deployed and are operating well.

The X-SAT, wholly designed and built in Singapore by NTU in partnership with DSO National Laboratories, carries three payloads, namely an imaging system, an advanced navigation experimental set-up, and a parallel processing unit for image processing.

Over the next few weeks, the X-SAT team members will perform a series of in-orbit tests on the satellite to confirm that all its sub-systems are working well to carry out its mission.

The X-SAT will orbit for three years at a height of 800 kilometres and take photographs which will help scientists to measure soil erosion and environmental changes. It can also capture data for monitoring forest fires and oil pollution at sea.