Korea's precision Earth-observation satellite Next-generation medium satellite No. 2, developed domestically, succeeded in ground communications following its launch. The satellite is expected to begin full-scale observation missions in the second half of this year, including national land and resource management and disaster response.
According to the Korea AeroSpace Administration, Next-generation medium satellite No. 2 was launched at 4 p.m. Korea time (midnight on the 3rd local time) from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, carried on SpaceX's Falcon 9 launch vehicle.
The Falcon 9 rocket carrying Next-generation medium satellite No. 2 passed maximum dynamic pressure (max Q) about 1 minute 17 seconds after liftoff, and about 2 minutes 25 seconds later, stage separation occurred with second-stage engine ignition. About 3 minutes 15 seconds after liftoff, the fairing also separated normally. The first stage of the reusable Falcon 9 returned to the ground launch site about 7 minutes 30 seconds after liftoff and was successfully recovered.
About 60 minutes after launch, around 5 p.m., Next-generation medium satellite No. 2 separated from the launch vehicle at an altitude of about 498 km and entered a sun-synchronous orbit. Around 5:15 p.m., it made first contact with the Svalbard ground station in Norway and confirmed that the main body systems and other conditions were in good shape.
The Korea AeroSpace Administration plans to link and use three overseas ground stations—the Svalbard ground station in Norway, Troll in Antarctica, and the King Sejong Station—to maintain 24-hour communications with the satellite during the initial operations period.
Next-generation medium satellite No. 2 is a medium Earth-observation satellite built to secure a 500-kg-class standard platform and transfer civilian technology. It was developed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and will provide high-precision Earth-observation imagery to meet public demand and support services for national land and resource management, as well as disaster and hazard response through national spatial information utilization.
The satellite weighs 534 kg and has Earth-observation performance capable of distinguishing objects 0.5 meters in black-and-white and 2 meters in color. The mission life is four years.
It was originally scheduled to be launched on a Russian rocket in the second half of 2022, but the timetable was delayed by nearly four years due to the fallout from the war in Ukraine. In the process, the contract with the Russian side was terminated, and the launch was carried out on a SpaceX Falcon 9 in the United States.
O Tae-seok, head of the Korea AeroSpace Administration, said, "The successful launch of Next-generation medium satellite No. 2 is an important milestone that opens the private sector–led new space era," adding, "By mounting a high-resolution black-and-white and color optical camera on a 500-kg-class standard platform and independently securing ultra-precise imagery needed for Korean Peninsula national land and disaster management, we have strengthened the technology localization and competitiveness of Korea's satellite industry."