GuaraníSat-1

GuaraníSat-1 was the first Paraguayan satellite.^[1][2] The nanosatellite's development was part of a collaboration between the Paraguayan Space Agency^[3] and the fourth Joint Global Multination Birds Satellite (Birds-4) multi-national project initiated by the Kyushu Institute of Technology of Japan.^[4]

GuaraníSat-1

Mission type	Technology demonstration
COSPAR ID	1998-067SH
SATCAT no.	47931
Mission duration	1 year, 3 months and 21 days
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type	1U CubeSat
Launch mass	1.3 kg (2.9 lb)
Dimensions	10 × 10 × 10 cm
Start of mission
Launch date	20 February 2021, 17:36:50 UTC
Rocket	Antares 230+
Launch site	Wallops Island MARS, LP-0A
Contractor	Northrop Grumman
Deployed from	ISS
Deployment date	14 March 2021
End of mission
Decay date	5 July 2022
Orbital parameters
Regime	Low Earth orbit

Launch and mission

GuaraníSat-1 was launched to the International Space Station (ISS) through Northrop Grumman's Cygnus NG-15 launch. The S.S. Katherine Johnson Cygnus, carrying cargo including GuaraníSat-1, was launched to space via the Antares rocket on 20 February 2021 from Pad 0A of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in Virginia, United States. The Cygnus spacecraft made a rendezvous with the ISS two days later, berthing to the Unity module of the space station.^[5][6] The satellite was deployed into low Earth orbit from the ISS on 14 March 2021.^[7]

The satellite's mission involved monitoring the prevalence of the Chagas disease in the Chaco region of Paraguay. The satellite was operated from ground stations at the Universidad Nacional de Asunción and the Chaco area.^[2]

GuaraníSat-1 reentered the atmosphere on 5 July 2022.^[8]

References

1. "Paraguay's 1st satellite said to herald new era of development". La Prensa Latina Media. 16 February 2021. Archived from the original on 23 February 2021. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
2. "El GuaraniSat-1 ya está en la Estación Internacional y sería puesto en órbita en las próximas semanas". ABC Color (in Spanish). 23 February 2021. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
3. "GuaraníSat-1: el primer satélite paraguayo se lanza hoy a las 14:36". La Nacion (in Spanish). 20 February 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
4. "NASA introduces PH satellite Maya-2; to launch in 2021 - UNTV News". UNTV News. 14 December 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
5. "Announcement of the Launch Date". BIRDS4. 10 February 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
6. Gebhardt, Chris; Neal, Mihir (20 February 2021). "Northrop Grumman's S.S. Katherine Johnson arrives at the ISS". NASASpaceFlight. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
7. Elin Urrutia, Doris (23 March 2021). "Paraguay's 1st satellite is in orbit after launch from space station". Space.com. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
8. "GUARANISAT-1 (BIRDS-4)". N2YO.com. 5 July 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2022.