# ZACube-2
*missions*

## Specifications
- **operator**: cput
- **actual launch**: 2018-12-27
- **actual end of life**: 2024-04-24
- **orbit type**: Decayed LEO/SSO; CelesTrak records impact/decay on 2024-04-24
- **current geographic priority**: Maritime-domain-awareness, ocean-colour, and fire-tracking demonstrations
- **launch vehicle**: roscosmos-soyuz-2
- **current status**: ended
- **platform**: zacube-2-3u-bus
- **tasking supported**: false
- **entity type**: mission
- **last verified date**: 2026-06-21
- **verified by**: community
- **claim status**: unclaimed
- **provider**: cput
- **attributes**: {"operator":"cput","actual_launch":"2018-12-27","actual_end_of_life":"2024-04-24","orbit_type":"Decayed LEO/SSO; CelesTrak records impact/decay on 2024-04-24","current_geographic_priority":"Maritime-domain-awareness, ocean-colour, and fire-tracking demonstrations","launch_vehicle":"roscosmos-soyuz-2","current_status":"ended","platform":"zacube-2-3u-bus","tasking_supported":false}
- **relevance**: in-scope

## Editorial
ZACube-2, also known as ZA-004, was a South African 3U CubeSat launched on 2018-12-27 on Soyuz-2.1a/Fregat from Vostochny.[^gunter-zacube-2] The mission carried a software-defined-radio AIS receiver for vessel detection and a medium-resolution imager for ocean-colour and large-fire tracking demonstrations.[^gunter-zacube-2] It supported maritime-domain-awareness, coastal-water-quality, and wildfire applications before decaying from orbit on 2024-04-24.[^celestrak-zacube-2][^gunter-zacube-2] The mission used a 3U CubeSat bus developed through the same South African university satellite programme as ZACube-1.[^cput-home][^gunter-zacube-2]

## Compositional position
- ZACube-2 --[mission_payloads]--> zacube-2-medium-resolution-imager (products)
- ZACube-2 --[mission_payloads]--> zacube-2-ais-receiver (products)
- ZACube-2 --[mission_buses]--> zacube-2-3u-bus (products)
- ZACube-2 --[related-topic]--> maritime-domain-awareness (topics)
- ZACube-2 --[related-topic]--> wildfire (topics)
- ZACube-2 --[related-topic]--> coastal-water-quality (topics)

## Sources
- [celestrak-zacube-2] | CelesTrak SATCAT record for ZACube-2 | https://celestrak.org/satcat/records.php?INTDES=2018-111AH | tier=community | accessed=2026-06-21
- [gunter-zacube-2] | ZACUBE 2 (ZA 004), Gunter Space Page | https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/zacube-2.htm | tier=third-party | accessed=2026-06-21
- [cput-home] | Cape Peninsula University of Technology | https://www.cput.ac.za/ | tier=operator-marketing | accessed=2026-06-21

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Source: https://eo-atlas.org/missions/zacube-2
Maintainer: SpectraWorks B.V. (CC-BY 4.0)