1990-1999

UoSAT-12 was an experimental mission used to demonstrate and test a number of new technologies, including imaging cameras, and a high-speed 1 Mbit/s S-band downlink (the MERLION experiment). An Internet Protocol stack was uploaded to the satellite, allowing experiments in extending the Internet to space to be made by NASA Goddard as part of its Operating Missions as Nodes on the Internet (OMNI) effort.

In January 2000, UoSat-12 imaged a lunar eclipse.  It also achieved a number of "Firsts" in space - click Discover More.  

Thai-Paht was the first Thai microsatellite and was launched in 1998 for Mahanikorn University in Bangkok.   A team of 12 engineers from the University completed atechnology transfer programme in the UK with SSTL.

FASat-Alpha was the first Chilean experimental microsatellite in orbit, built under a technology transfer program between the Chilean Air Fore and SSTL. The FASat program included the training of Chilenian engineers at SSTL. 

FASat-A was launched on August 31, 1995 as a secondary payload to the Ukrainian SICH-1 satellite on a Russian Cyclone-3 vehicle. Unfortunately, the separation mechanism to release FASat-Alpha from SICH-1 failed to operate and some time after the launch, FACh and SSTL declared the spacecraft as lost. The primary payload, SICH-1, was able to perform its observation functions unharmed with the FASat-A permanently attached to it.

Healthsat-2 was a commercial digital Store and Forward satellite for medical communications using low cost, portable ground stations.

It was launched on the 25th September 1993, and joined HealthSat-1 (UoSAT-3) as the second SSTL microsatellite in the HealthNet global communications system of SatelLife, a U.S. non-profit organization. HealthNet provided desperately needed low cost 'last mile' communication links between medical institutions and health programmes in the developing world.

Launched in 1992, KITSAT-1 was developed through a collaborative program between KAIST and the University of Surrey. The main objective of the KITSAT-1 program was to acquire satellite technology through the training and education of satellite engineers. 

The success of the KITSAT-1 program marked the beginning of space technology development for South Korea, who now have their own commercial satellite manufacturer, SaTReC.  

The S80/Tmission was sponsored by CNES and carried an experimental VHF transponder manufactured by Dassault and weighing 7kg, for characterising the radio environment in the 148 to 149.9MHz band in preparation for the proposed S80 constellation mobile communications and positioning system.