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🛰️ SATELLITE · HISTORICAL RECORD

SumbandilaSat

Re-entered 10 Dec 2021

SumbandilaSat (NORAD 35870, COSPAR 2009-049F) was a ZA satellite that re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 10 Dec 2021, launched on 17 Sep 2009 on the Soyuz Rideshare 1 mission. It was operated by CSIR as part of the STBO programme. The spacecraft was built by STBO on the Sunsat bus, with a mass of 81 kg. Like most satellites in low orbits, it was gradually slowed by atmospheric drag until re-entry. Historical record from Orbital Radar's satellite archive, cross-referenced with the live satellite catalogue.

2009
launched
2021
re-entered
12
years on orbit
81
kg mass

Lifecycle

Launched17 Sep 2009 · on the Soyuz Rideshare 1 mission
Operational14 Sep 2011 · entered service
Retired14 Sep 2011 · end of operational service
Re-entered10 Dec 2021 · atmospheric re-entry — object destroyed

Specifications

NORAD ID35870
COSPAR2009-049F
TypeSatellite
OperatorCSIR
Country / StateZA
ManufacturerSTBO
BusSunsat
Mass81 kg
ProgrammeSTBO
CategoryIMG
OrbitLEO (LLEO/S)
Altitude490 × 504 km
Inclination97.4°

Frequently asked questions

What happened to SumbandilaSat?

SumbandilaSat re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 10 Dec 2021, ending a mission that began with its launch in 2009. Objects in low orbits are gradually slowed by atmospheric drag until they fall back and burn up on re-entry.

When did SumbandilaSat re-enter the atmosphere?

SumbandilaSat re-entered on 10 Dec 2021, according to Orbital Radar's historical catalogue records.

Who operated and built SumbandilaSat?

SumbandilaSat was operated by CSIR and built by STBO (ZA).

Launched together

Meteor-M No. 1NORAD 35865Sterkh No. 12LNORAD 35866MGU Tat'yana-2NORAD 35868UGATUSATNORAD 35869BlitsRe-entered 2013
Historical record from the Orbital Radar satellite archive. Sources & methodology: data sources. Accessed 2026-09-06.
Browse the live satellite directory → Re-entered satellites archive → Launch record: Soyuz Rideshare 1 → What is space debris? →