South Korean Earth Observation Satellite Successfully Enters Orbit

By Kim Eun-jung

SEOUL, July 7 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean Earth observation satellite has successfully entered low-Earth orbit following its launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Tuesday, the country's space agency said.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the next-generation midsized satellite No. 4 lifted off at 12:12 a.m. Tuesday (California local time), or 4:12 p.m. Tuesday (South Korea time), as part of the Transporter-17 rideshare mission, which carried 81 payloads.

The satellite successfully separated from the launch vehicle at around 6:42 p.m. Tuesday (South Korea time), about two hours and 30 minutes after liftoff.

The satellite then succeeded in making its first communication with the Svalbard ground station in Norway about 23 minutes later, according to the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA).

The space agency said the launch marked a "significant" achievement in expanding South Korea's private-led satellite development capabilities.

"By independently securing satellite imagery and data needed for agriculture, forestry, climate and disaster response, we have significantly strengthened the competitiveness of our private-led satellite industry and the country's capabilities in utilizing satellite information," KASA Administrator Oh Tae-seog said.

The country's first satellite dedicated to agriculture and forestry is designed to support a wide range of applications, including crop monitoring, forest management, disaster response and climate analysis.

The satellite carries a domestically developed wide-area observation camera capable of imaging the entire Korean Peninsula every three days.

If initial operations proceed as planned, the satellite will undergo three to four months of image calibration and data verification before entering full-scale service in the first half of 2027, KASA said.