Korea launches its 9th satellite, for multiple use

Korea successfully placed in orbit its ninth satellite, Arirang 2, after its launch at 4:05 p.m. (Korea time) yesterday from Plesetsk, Russia’s northern spaceport. The Ministry of Science and Technology said the satellite made the first contact with the Malindi satellite station in Kenya, about 71 minutes after liftoff. The second contact was made around 6 p.m. The Ministry of Science and Technology said the 800-kilogram (1,764 pounds) multipurpose satellite was lifted off by a Russian ROCKOT vehicle to be orbiting about 685 kilometers (426 miles) above the Earth 14 times per day over the next three years. It will pass over Korea twice or three times per day, transmitting images. “We were psychologically burdened as the launch from Russia of the box-sized satellite named “Hausat-1,” which had been exclusively developed by Hankuk Aviation University, ended up as failure on Thursday, although the two satellites bear no direct relation,” said a researcher at the Technology and Korea Aerospace Research Institute, which is in charge of the Arirang 2 development. Korea has spent 263.3 billion won ($276 million) on the seven-year project. Loaded with a 1-meter high-resolution multi-spectral camera, the satellite can track objects the size of a car. One square meter on the Earth’s surface will account for a pixel in the images the camera produces. For example, if the camera on Arirang 2 captures central Seoul, it can identify the size and type of cars running on the broad Sejongro. The camera will offer 36 times clearer resolution than the one fitted on Arirang 1. Only a small number of countries, such as the United States, Russia, France, Japan and Israel have satellite-based cameras with such strong resolution. The multipurpose satellite, also called “Science and Technology Satellite-2,” will be mainly responsible for monitoring geographical updates and natural disasters and resources, while providing data for cartography. Real-time visual data on the military base in North Korea may allow detection of the types of tanks, fighter planes and missiles and their movement. The Korean army said the satellite can serve as a military surveillance tool, if necessary. Six hours and 55 minutes after the launch, at around 11 p.m., the Korea Aerospace Research Institute’s satellite control center in Daejeon city, was scheduled to make contact with the satellite. Korea’s first multipurpose satellite, Arirang 1, the predecessor of Arirang 2, was launched in December, 1999. It was the first practical satellite made by Korean scientists with a U.S. firm, TRW. The nation’s first military communication satellite is awaiting liftoff Aug. 10. The Mugunghwa 5 Satellite, designed for civil and military use, will lift off from a South Pacific area. by Seo Ji-eun