Korea Multi-Purpose Satellite-5 Launched Successfully
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Department
Administrator
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Registration Date
2013-08-23
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18891
The Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) announced that Korea Multi-purpose Satellite-5 (hereinafter, 'KOMPSAT-5') was successfully launched on August 22 (20:39) from Yasni launch base, Russia. Troll Satellite Station in Antarctica successfully received beacon signal 32 minutes after its launch. Beacon signals were again picked up by Norways Svalbard Satellite Station 87 minutes later (August 23rd 01:06) and also the Korean ground station located in KARI five hours and 56 minutes after the launching (August 23rd 05:35 KST), which verified that the satellite was successfully deployed and is functioning properly include solar panels.
KOMPSAT-5 first will start a trial operation, including functional tests of the satellite and payload, for about six months after being adjusted to be put into the target orbit and then will begin to perform its designated missions.
The development of KOMPSAT-5 has been promoted by the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy for eight years while KARI has performed the project in cooperation with other domestic companies including Korea Aerospace Industries, Korean Air, Doowon Heavy Industries, Hanhwa, and so forth.
KOMPSAT-5 is, at an altitude of 550km, carrying a SAR(Synthetic Aperture Radar) payload, the radar imaging system which is capable of observing the Earths surface, for the next five years, especially Korean peninsula regardless of weather conditions for the purpose of public safety, land management, and disaster monitoring.
KOMPSAT-5 makes image data with the SAR payload after transmitting microwave to ground and getting the signals bounced back. So it is able to capture images at night or on a cloudy day overcoming the limit of optical cameras of KOMPSAT-2 & 3. Now it is expected that mutual use of the SAR satellite and the optical ones such as KOMPSAT-2 and KOMPSAT-3 can the higher value-added data business. It will also reduce social or economic costs by offering accurate and prompt satellite application data in case of potential disasters such as a flood, drought, earthquake, ground subsidence, oil spills, and so forth, thereby minimizing loss of life and property damage.