The next-generation medium satellite 4 has successfully entered orbit and is preparing for its mission, which will be utilized for agricultural and forest observation. With its capability to capture images of the entire country every three days, it is expected to enhance disaster response capabilities for events such as wildfires and landslides, as well as monitor crop conditions and forest changes.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the next-generation medium satellite 4 was launched at 4:12 p.m. (Korea time) on July 7 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The satellite separated from the rocket approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes after launch and successfully established its first communication with the Svalbard ground station in Norway at 7:05 p.m. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute confirmed that the satellite is functioning normally and has reached its target altitude of approximately 888 kilometers in a sun-synchronous orbit.
Developed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), the 500-kilogram satellite is equipped with an optical camera that has a 120-kilometer observation width and a spatial resolution of 5 meters, allowing it to monitor crop growth, agricultural land, and forest resources. It is expected to improve the efficiency of agricultural observation and forest information gathering by capturing images of the Korean Peninsula in just two to three passes.
The government plans to accelerate the establishment of a data-driven agricultural and digital forest management system following this satellite launch. The Rural Development Administration aims to enhance crop yield predictions and agricultural disaster response systems using satellite imagery and artificial intelligence (AI), while the Korea Forest Service intends to utilize the satellite for more rapid and accurate monitoring of forest disasters such as wildfires and landslides.
Oh Tae-seok, head of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, stated, "This achievement expands the capabilities of private-sector satellite development based on a 500-kilogram standard platform. It will strengthen the nation's satellite utilization capabilities by independently securing satellite information necessary for agriculture, forestry, climate, and disaster response." He added, "We will continue to identify domestic and international satellite launch demands to expand the use of Korean launch vehicles."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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