SEOUL, July 8 (AJP) - South Korea's next-generation mid-sized satellite successfully made first contact after being launched aboard a SpaceX rocket in the U.S. on Tuesday, according to the Korea AeroSpace Administration said.
The space agency said it communicated with a ground station at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute in Daejeon at around 10:50 p.m. here, about 6 hours and 38 minutes after lifting off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
During the first contact, KARI checked whether the satellite's solar panels had deployed properly and reviewed telemetry data for any abnormalities. Additional contacts will follow to verify the satellite's other systems.
The CAS500-4, the country's first satellite specializing in agriculture and forestry, was developed to analyze crop conditions, monitor forest resources, support disaster response, and conduct climate analysis.
It weighs 514 kilograms, with more than 75 percent of its components domestically made, and is equipped with a wide-area electro-optical camera capable of imaging the entire Korean Peninsula every three days, enabling detailed monitoring of flooded farmland, crop growth conditions, and wildfire damage.
After initial operations, the CAS500-4 is expected to begin its mission in 2027, providing data for agricultural and forestry monitoring.
The space agency said it communicated with a ground station at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute in Daejeon at around 10:50 p.m. here, about 6 hours and 38 minutes after lifting off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
During the first contact, KARI checked whether the satellite's solar panels had deployed properly and reviewed telemetry data for any abnormalities. Additional contacts will follow to verify the satellite's other systems.
The CAS500-4, the country's first satellite specializing in agriculture and forestry, was developed to analyze crop conditions, monitor forest resources, support disaster response, and conduct climate analysis.
It weighs 514 kilograms, with more than 75 percent of its components domestically made, and is equipped with a wide-area electro-optical camera capable of imaging the entire Korean Peninsula every three days, enabling detailed monitoring of flooded farmland, crop growth conditions, and wildfire damage.
After initial operations, the CAS500-4 is expected to begin its mission in 2027, providing data for agricultural and forestry monitoring.
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