Cheollian Satellite 1, Korea's first geostationary multipurpose satellite, will complete its 16-year mission and enter the disposal phase in April next year.
The Korea AeroSpace Administration said on the 9th that it held the second Cheollian Satellite Operations Committee meeting and reviewed and approved an agenda on ending and disposing of Cheollian 1's mission.
Cheollian 1 was launched in June 2010 with missions including experimental communications relay, weather observation and ocean observation. Its original design life was seven years, but it successfully carried out its mission for 16 years, more than double that.
Cheollian 1 is credited with advancing satellite communications technology by providing Korea's first test services for broadband communications and satellite broadcasting using a geostationary satellite. It also played an important role in improving the ability to predict disaster weather events such as typhoons and heavy rain, and in monitoring changes in the marine environment.
The weather and ocean missions have been continued by Cheollian 2A and 2B, respectively. The communications mission will be taken over by Cheollian 3, a public communications geostationary satellite to be launched in the second half of 2027.
The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) plan to maneuver the satellite out of the geostationary protected region around July next year and end final operations. The satellite's disposal will proceed in accordance with the "Recommendations on Spacecraft Design and Operation for the Mitigation of Space Debris," which are based on international norms.
Yoon Young-bin, head of the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), said, "Cheollian 1 was a satellite that laid the cornerstone for the self-reliance of Korea's space technology and for the use of satellite information."