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Surrey Satellite Technology Limited
Guildford, UK 

Further information contact:

Audrey Nice (Publicity Officer)
Surrey Satellite Technology Limited
Surrey Space Centre
University of Surrey
Guildford, Surrey
GU2 7XH
England

Tel: +44 1483 689278
Fax: +44 1483 689503
E-mail: dmc{at}sstl.co.uk

6th December 2002

AlSAT-1 DMC satellite working well in orbit with first use of IP
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One week into its mission, the AlSAT-1 microsatellite is performing 
well in orbit with commissioning by CNTS/SSTL ground station teams in 
Arzew and Surrey running ahead of schedule. The satellite has been 
stabilised, the propulsion, communications and on-board data handling 
systems are sound -- and the imaging payload tests will commence next
week. 

AlSAT-1 is the first spacecraft to use Internet Protocols (IP) for 
routine in-orbit operations following some 12 months of successful IP 
demonstrations by SSTL on UoSAT-12 during 2000-2001. For payload data 
recovery, AlSAT-1 is the first spacecraft to implement the CCSDS 
(Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems) File Delivery Protocol
(CFDP) which is also operating over the IP data link at 8Mbps. This 
combines the benefits of a file delivery protocol designed for space, 
with the use of low cost commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products for 
the data link layer to provide a robust and flexible communications
system.

Launched into a 700km sun-synchronous orbit on board a Kosmos 3-M 
rocket from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia at 06:07 hrs 
GMT on 28 November, AlSAT-1 is both Algeria's first national 
satellite, and the first satellite in the Surrey-led international 
Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC). Four follow-on spacecraft 
will be launched in 2003.

AlSAT-1's imaging payload will provide extremely wide swath (600km) 
32-metre multispectral imaging with a four-day revisit capability 
worldwide. When joined in orbit by the other DMC satellites, the 
constellation will provide a daily imaging revisit capability 
worldwide for disaster relief agencies, national use and commercial 
exploitation.

AlSAT-1 was built at the Surrey Space Centre in Guildford by a joint 
UK-Algerian team.

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