RSA-3 Credit - © Mark Wade Media Gallery

The RSA-3 satellite launcher began development as an IRBM in the 1980's because of the perceived Soviet threat and isolation of South Africa. It was developed with the assistance of Israel and was believed to be essentially identical to the Israeli Jericho missile/Shavit launch vehicle. The objective of the satellite launcher was to place a small surveillance satellite of 330 kg mass into a 41 degree, 212 x 460 km orbit around the earth. Development continued even after South African renunciation of its nuclear weapons. However the launcher was found not to be viable commercially and so was cancelled in mid-1994.

The RSA-3 was developed by the Houwteq organization at Grabouw, 30 km east of Cape Town. The Overberg Test Range near Bredasdorp, 200 km east of Cape Town, was used for test flights. The engine test facility was at Rooi Els. At the peak of development in 1992 50 - 70 companies in the public and private sector were involved, employing 1300 -1500 people.

As in the Shavit, the first and second stages used the same rocket motor loaded with 9 metric tons of propellant. The first stage used vanes in the exhaust for steering during the first 16 to 20 seconds of flight, after which the fins at the base of the vehicle provided aerodynamic control. The second stage had a higher expansion nozzle and may have been equipped with TVC for steering. Atop the second stage was a guidance / orientation / spin-up bus for the third stage and payload. Total mass of this bus and the payload shroud was 583 kg. After second stage burnout, the upper stage package entered a 148 second ballistic coast. A sideways trajectory deflection was made and the shroud was jettisoned. Then the third stage and payload were spun up, following by separation of the bus. The spin-stabilized third stage then made the 4,555 m/s burn to place the payload into orbit. The third stage was evidently similar to a 5 metric ton thrust spherical motor displayed by the Israelis for their Shavit launch vehicle.

The composite payload fairing for the RSA-3 was 4.5 m long, 1.3 m in diameter, and had a mass of 57 kg. The solar array for the satellite had a mass of less than 7 kg and with three panels could supply 295 W of power. The fairing could resist temperatures of up to + 100 degrees C during ascent and the thermal satellite blanket insulated the payload from temperatures ranging from -80 degrees C to + 100 degrees C.

As an ICBM, it is estimated that the three-stage version of the RSA-3 could have delivered a 340 kg warhead on Washington DC or a 400 kg warhead on Moscow. However such lightweight warheads were beyond declared South African technology. Therefore the RSA-3 was most likely purely a space launch adaptation of the RSA-2 IRBM, with the Peacekeeper-class RSA-4 fulfilling the ICBM role.

The RSA-3 and its mobile erector-launcher were in an advanced stage of test at the time the program was cancelled. It is not known what happened to the hardware that was built. Warheads of the size and type required for use on the RSA-3 were not in the inventory according to the declarations made by South Africa at the time of its nuclear disarmament and signature of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. The RSA-4, was in the design stage.

The following is the detailed launch trajectory of the RSA-3:

Event	Time from Launch -sec	Height -km	Slant Range - km	Vehicle Mass - kg	Velocity - m/s
Ignition	0.0	0.0	0.0	23,564	0
Separation Stages 1/2	54.9	12.8	8.4	13,349	575
Separation Stages 2/3	140.0	104.3	179.8	2,961	3,225
Bus maneuver and shroud ejection	172.0	140.0	272.0	0	3,116
Ignition of Apogee Kick Motor	248.0	196.5	489.0	2,378	2,945
Burnout of AKM	342.0	210.0	914.0	0	7,498
Separation of Payload	460.0	212.0	1806.0	330	7,500

Manufacturer: IAI. Launches: 3. Success Rate: 100.00%. First Launch Date: 1989-06-01. Last Launch Date: 1990-11-19. Launch data is: complete. LEO Payload: 330 kg (720 lb). to: 210 km Orbit. at: 41.00 degrees. Apogee: 300 km (180 mi). Associated Spacecraft: Greensat. Liftoff Thrust: 412.700 kN (92,779 lbf). Total Mass: 23,630 kg (52,090 lb). Core Diameter: 1.30 m (4.20 ft). Total Length: 17.65 m (57.90 ft).

• Stage Number: 1. 1 x Stage: RSA-3-1. Gross Mass: 10,215 kg (22,520 lb). Empty Mass: 1,100 kg (2,400 lb). Thrust (vac): 456.000 kN (102,512 lbf). Isp: 265 sec. Burn time: 52 sec. Isp(sl): 240 sec. Diameter: 1.30 m (4.20 ft). Span: 2.30 m (7.50 ft). Length: 6.30 m (20.60 ft). Propellants: Solid. No Engines: 1. Engine: RSA-3-1. Status: Out of production. Source: Missile exhibit and placards, AF Museum, South Africa.

• Stage Number: 2. 1 x Stage: RSA-3-2. Gross Mass: 10,971 kg (24,186 lb). Empty Mass: 1,771 kg (3,904 lb). Thrust (vac): 476.600 kN (107,144 lbf). Isp: 277 sec. Burn time: 52 sec. Isp(sl): 220 sec. Diameter: 1.30 m (4.20 ft). Span: 1.30 m (4.20 ft). Length: 6.40 m (20.90 ft). Propellants: Solid. No Engines: 1. Engine: RSA-3-2. Status: In production. Source: Missile exhibit and placards, AF Museum, South Africa. Empty mass includes 583 kg for payload shroud, guidance, orientation and spin-up platform that positions stage 3 and payload for final orbital insertion burn.

• Stage Number: 3. 1 x Stage: RSA-3-3. Gross Mass: 2,048 kg (4,515 lb). Empty Mass: 170 kg (370 lb). Thrust (vac): 58.800 kN (13,219 lbf). Isp: 298 sec. Burn time: 94 sec. Diameter: 1.30 m (4.20 ft). Span: 1.30 m (4.20 ft). Length: 2.60 m (8.50 ft). Propellants: Solid. No Engines: 1. Engine: RSA-3-3. Status: In production. Data accurate. Source: Missile exhibit and placards, AF Museum, South Africa. ARC/Rafael AUS 51 is identical.

1989 Jun - Launch Site: Overberg. Launch Vehicle: RSA-3. LV Configuration: RSA-3 1.

• Test mission Nation: South Africa. Agency: Armsco. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi). References: 1172.

• Test mission Nation: South Africa. Agency: Armsco. Apogee: 300 km (180 mi). References: 1172.

• Test mission Nation: South Africa. Agency: Armsco. Apogee: 300 km (180 mi). References: 1836.

• RSA-3 / RSA-4 South African satellite launchers cancelled Nation: South Africa. The RSA-3 satellite launcher began development as an IRBM in the 1980's. It was developed with the assistance of Israel. The satellite launcher was found not to be viable commercially and so was cancelled in mid-1994. The Overberg Test Range near Bredasdorp, 200 km east of Cape Town, was used for test flights.

• McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page, Harvard University, 1997-present. Jonathan McDowell's complete on-line listing of all objects orbited and over 20,000 rocket launches Accessed at: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.

• Rocket Testing a safe bet in South Africa, Johannesburg Star, October 15-21, 1992.

• South African Air Force Museum - RSA-3 Exhibits, .

• Cape Business News, "South Africa - New life for local space programme", CBN Archive - September 1997.. Accessed at: http://www.cbn.co.za/archive/97-sep/cbnro.htm.

• South Africa's Nuclear Autopsy, "The Risk Report", Volume 2 Number 1 (January-February 1996) Page 4, 5, 10.. Accessed at: http://www.wisconsinproject.org/countries/safrica/autopsy.html.