/ 9 February 1999

UNLUCKY 13 FOR SUNSAT

SUNSAT, South Africa’s first home-grown satellite, will remain on the ground at least until Thursday, the United States Air Force said on Monday after inclement weather forced a new delay of the launch — the 13th this year. The launch has been repeatedly stifled by weather, false alarms and bad instrument readings. When it finally goes into orbit, the Stellenbosch University-built Sunsat will be used for remote sensing and amateur radio communication.