Satellite to be space-junked

Mugunghwa No. 1, Korea’s first commercial satellite, will be taken out of orbit on Dec. 13 after 10 years of service. The nation’s leading telecom service operator KT Corp. said yesterday that it would embark on a four-day project that would leave the satellite floating as space junk. Shot into orbit on Aug. 5, 1995, the multi-purpose broadcasting and telecommunications satellite failed to enter the desired orbit due to the low performance of the rocket used to launch it. Due to the anomaly, the satellite’s lifetime was shortened to four years and three months from the previously planned period of 10 years. Over the past six years since 1999, the satellite has been rented to a French company. Mugunghwa No. 2 was launched into orbit in 1996 and the third satellite was launched in 1999, five years ahead of schedule. The fifth model, the nation’s first joint project between the private sector and military, is slated for launch in June next year. by Seo Ji-eun