GhanaSat-1

GhanaSat-1 in the middle of three other deploying CubeSat in Birds-1 mission

Names| Bird GG
ANUSAT-1
Mission type| Technology demonstration
Earth observation
Operator| All Nations University
COSPAR ID| 1998-067MV
SATCAT no.| 42821
Mission duration| 24 months (planned)
22 months, 14 days (achieved)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type| 1U CubeSat
Manufacturer| All Nations University
Launch mass| 1 kg
Dimensions| 10 x 10 x 10 cm
Start of mission
Launch date| 3 June 2017, 21:07:38 UTC[1]
Rocket| Falcon 9 FT, CRS-11
Launch site| Kennedy, LC-39A
Contractor| SpaceX
Deployed from| Nanoracks CubeSat Deployer
Deployment date| 7 July 2017, 08:51 UTC
End of mission
Disposal| Deorbited
Decay date| 22 May 2019 [2]
Orbital parameters
Reference system| Geocentric orbit[3]
Regime| Low Earth orbit
Perigee altitude| 397.8 km
Apogee altitude| 403.6 km
Inclination| 51.64°
Period| 92.57 minutes

Joint Global Multination Birds Satellite

Birds-2 ->

GhanaSat-1 was the first Ghanaian nanosatellite to be launched into space.[4] It was designed and built in two years in conjunction with the Kyushu Institute of Technology Birds-1 program, which has the goal of helping countries build their first satellite.

The satellite took images, collected atmospheric data, measured space radiation, and transmitted uploaded audio. GhanaSat-1 was launched to the International Space Station (ISS) on a Falcon 9 rocket. It was released into space from the Nanoracks CubeSat Deployer on the ISS on 7 July 2017 and was used to monitor environmental activities along Ghana's coastline. The satellite deorbited on 22 May 2019.

## Contents

* 1 Background
* 2 Design and development
* 3 Mission
* 3.1 Launch
* 3.2 Operations
* 4 Future work
* 5 References
* 6 External links

## Background

Ghana through All Nations University is a private university in Ghana to build the first Ghana satellite named Ghanasat-1. The Ghanasat-1 was developed by three engineers namely Benjamin Bonsu, Ernest Matey, Joseph Quansah. The Ghana Team led by Benjamin Bonsu joined the Joint Global Multi-Nation Birds satellite program, supported by Kyushu Institute of Technology (KIT) of Japan, which is a cross-border interdisciplinary satellite project for non-spacefaring countries. The Birds-1 Project included four guest countries: Ghana, Mongolia, Nigeria, and Bangladesh. GhanaSat-1 is the first Ghanaian's first satellite launched into orbit, entirely funded by the All Nations University. This big achievement makes All Nations University, Africa's first private university to launch a satellite into orbit.[5]

## Design and development

GhanaSat-1 was assembled and tested by three students namely Benjamin Bonsu, Ernest Matey and Joseph Quansah at All Nations University.[6] The five 1U CubeSats, four built by the guest countries and one by Kyushu Institute of Technology (Japan), were all identical in their design.[7] The two-year period spanning the development, construction, launch and operation of the satellites engaged three university students from each of the five participating countries.[8] The satellite cost about US$500,000 to manufacture and launch.[9]

GhanaSat-1 was a nanosatellite, weighing around 1 kilogram (2.2 lb).[6] Power was generated from solar cells and stored in batteries.[5] The satellite was cube-shaped and measured 10 centimetres (3.9 in) on each side.[10] The satellite carried low- and high-resolution cameras that took pictures of Ghana and monitored the country's coastline. The satellite had the ability to receive requested songs from the ground and transmit them from space;[6] the national anthem of Ghana was one of the songs broadcast in orbit. Finally, the satellite measured the effects of radiation in space on commercial microprocessors.[6]

GhanaSat-1 was given to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) on 9 February 2017, and was then transferred to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on 12 February 2017.[6] The GhanaSat-1 Birds designation is Bird GG.[11]

## Mission

### Launch

SpaceX launch of CRS-11 with GhanaSat-1 onboard.

SpaceX launched the satellite on its CRS-11 mission to the International Space Station on 3 June 2017. The satellite was carried in a Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket, launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, LC-39A. This was the 100th launch from LC-39A and the first time SpaceX reused one of its Dragon capsules.[1] This mission also carried CubeSats from Japan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, and Mongolia.[11] The satellites from Bangladesh (BRAC Onnesha) and Mongolia (Mazaalai) are those countries' first satellites.

GhanaSat-1 was released by a Japanese astronaut from the Nanoracks CubeSat Deployer, located in the Japanese Kibō module of the International Space Station, on 7 July 2017.[11] The satellite launch was broadcast live and watched by over 400 people at All Nations University.[4] The satellite orbited the Earth at an altitude of 400 kilometres (250 mi) and at an inclination of 51.64°, completing an orbit around the planet every 92.57 minutes at a velocity of 7.67 kilometres per second (4.77 mi/s).[12][9]

### Operations

The satellite was primarily a technology demonstrator and Earth observation satellite. The Ghana scientists took images of the Ghanaian coastline for cartography. The acting director of Space Systems Technology Laboratory at All Nations University, Richard Damoah, said the satellite would "...also help us train the upcoming generation on how to apply satellites in different activities around our region. For instance, monitoring illegal mining is one of the things we are looking to accomplish".[4] The satellite communicated with seven ground stations: one in each of the countries participating in the Birds-1 program, and one each in Thailand and Taiwan.[5] The satellite was the last of the Birds-1 group to deorbit, ending its mission 22 May 2019.[13]

## Future work

The university plans to coordinate with the government to build GhanaSat-2 and GhanaSat-3. The primary objective of GhanaSat-2 is to monitor water pollution, illegal mining, and deforestation.[14][15] Japan's work with non-spacefaring countries continues with the Philippines, Bhutan, and Malaysia through Birds-2, launched in 2018 along with SpaceX CRS-15.[5]

Dr. Benjamin Bonsu, the leader of the Ghanasat-1 project, recently introduced an innovative concept for a constellation of microsatellites at the 2024 World Space Forum. During his presentation, he highlighted the potential benefits of deploying multiple small satellites in orbit, which could enhance communication, earth observation, and data collection capabilities for various applications. His proposal aims to leverage advancements in satellite technology to improve Ghana's presence in the space sector and foster international collaboration in space exploration and research

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Clark, Stephen (3 June 2017). "Reused Dragon cargo capsule launched on journey to space station". Spaceflight Now. https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/06/03/reused-dragon-cargo-capsule-launched-on-journey-to-space-station/.
2. ↑ "BIRD GG". N2YO.com. https://www.n2yo.com/satellite/?s=42821.
3. ↑ "Bird GG - Orbit". Heavens Above. 9 August 2017. http://heavens-above.com/orbit.aspx?satid=42821.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Ghana launches its first satellite into space". BBC News. 7 July 2017. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-40538471.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "Bird B, BTN, G, J, M, MYS, N, PHL (BRAC Onnesha, GhanaSat-1, Toki, Mazaalai, Nigeria EduSat-1)". Gunter's Space Page. http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/bird.htm.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 "GhanaSat 1: Ghana's First Space Satellite To Be Launched in Japan". 2 June 2017. https://buzzghana.com/ghana-launch-first-satellite-ghanasat-1/.
7. ↑ "Mongolia to send first satellite off to space on June 4". Xinhuanet.com. June 2, 2017. http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-06/02/c_136335433.htm.
8. ↑ "Mongolia to send its first satellite to space on June 4". Indo-Asian News Service. The Indian Express. 3 June 2017. http://indianexpress.com/article/technology/science/mongolia-launches-its-first-satellite-to-space-4687089/.
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Babatunde, Mark (11 July 2017). "Ghanaian Engineers Launch Ghanasat-1, Join Space Race". Face2Face Africa. https://face2faceafrica.com/article/ghanasat-1.
10. ↑ "Brac University says "hi" to first nanosatellite". The Daily Star. 8 February 2017. http://www.thedailystar.net/country/brac-university-says-hi-first-nano-satellite-1357831.
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 "BIRDS-1 AMSAT-UK". https://amsat-uk.org/tag/birds-1/.
12. ↑ "President Akufo-Addo congratulates All Nations University for Ghanasat-1 Satellite". 7 July 2017. http://www.ghananewsagency.org/science/president-akufo-addo-congratulates-all-nations-university-for-ghanasat-1-satellite-119346.
13. ↑ "Report on BIRDS-1 Deorbiting". Birds Project Newsletter. 31 July 2019. p. 96. https://birds1.birds-project.com/files/BIRDS_Newsletter_Issue_No_42.pdf.
14. ↑ "Ghana to launch GhanaSat 2 and 3 - Satellite Technical Team". GhanaWeb. 10 July 2017. https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Ghana-to-launch-GhanaSat-2-3-Satellite-Technical-Team-557060.
15. ↑ Bright, Jake (6 August 2017). "Africa has entered the space race, with Ghana's first satellite now orbiting earth". Tech Crunch. https://techcrunch.com/2017/08/06/africa-enters-the-space-race/.

## External links

* Official Birds website

* v
* t
* e

Orbital launches in 2017

January|

TJS-2 – Lingqiao / Jilin-1 03 * Caton-1 * Xingyun Shiyan 1 – Iridium NEXT 1–10 – TRICOM-1 – USA-273 / SBIRS GEO-3 – DSN-2 – Hispasat AG1

February|

Intelsat 32e / SkyBrasil-1 * Telkom-3S – Cartosat-2D * INS-1A, 1B * Flock-3p × 88 * Lemur-2 × 8 * Al Farabi-1 * BGUSAT * DIDO-2 * Nayif 1 * PEASS – Dragon CRS-10 – Progress MS-05

March|

USA-274 / NROL-79 / Intruder 8 – Tiankun-1 – Sentinel-2B – EchoStar 23 – IGS-Radar 5 – USA-275 / WGS-9 – SES-10

April|

Shijian 13 – Cygnus CRS OA-7 – Soyuz MS-04 – Tianzhou 1 * SilkRoad-1

May|

USA-276 / NROL-76 – Koreasat 7 * SGDC-1 – GSAT 9 / South Asia Satellite – Inmarsat-5 F4 – SES-15 – "It's a Test" – EKS-2

June|

QZS-2 – ViaSat-2 * Eutelsat 172B – Dragon CRS-11 * NICER * Birds-1 (TOKI * GhanaSat-1 * Mazaalai * BRAC Onnesha * Nigeria EduSat-1) – GSAT-19 – EchoStar 21 – Progress MS-06 – HXMT / Insight * Zhuhai-1 01, 02 * ÑuSat 3 – ChinaSat 9A – Cartosat-2E * Aalto-1 * ROBUSTA-1B * Max Valier Sat – Nivelir-ZU (14F150) – BulgariaSat-1 – Iridium NEXT-2 – EuropaSat/Hellas Sat 3 * GSAT-17

July|

Shijian-18 – Intelsat 35e – Kanopus-V-IK * CICERO × 3 * Corvus-BC × 2 * Ecuador-UTE-YuZGU * Flock-2k × 48 * Flying Laptop * Iskra-MAI-85 * Lemur-2 × 8 * MKA-N × 2 * Mayak * NORSAT-1, -2 * NanoACE * TechnoSat * WNISAT-1R – Soyuz MS-05

August|

OPTSAT-3000 * VENµS – Dragon CRS-12 * ASTERIA – Blagovest 11L – TDRS-M – Michibiki 3 – Formosat-5 – ORS-5 – IRNSS-1H

September|

USA-277 / OTV-5 – Amazonas 5 – Soyuz MS-06 – Kosmos 2522 / GLONASS-M 752 – USA-278 / NROL-42 – AsiaSat 9 – Yaogan-30-01 × 3 – Intelsat 37e * BSAT-4a

October|

VRSS-2 – Iridium NEXT 21–30 – QZS-4 – SES-11 / EchoStar 105 – Sentinel-5 Precursor – Progress MS-07 – USA-279 / NROL-52 / Quasar 21 – Koreasat 5A – SkySat × 6  * Flock-3m × 4

November|

BeiDou-3 M1 * M2 – Mohammed VI-A – Cygnus CRS OA-8E * Asgardia-1 – Fengyun-3D * HEAD-1 – NOAA-20 – Jilin-1 × 3 – Yaogan-30-02 × 3 – Meteor-M No.2-1

December|

Kosmos 2524 – LKW-1 – Alcomsat-1 – Galileo FOC 15-18 – Dragon CRS-13 – Soyuz MS-07 – GCOM-C * SLATS – Iridium NEXT 31–40 – Yaogan-30-03 × 3 – AngoSat 1

Launches are separated by dashes ( – ), payloads by dots ( * ), multiple names for the same satellite by slashes ( / ). CubeSats are smaller.
Crewed flights are bolded. Launch failures are in italics. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are (enclosed in brackets).

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