The CAS500-4, a next-generation medium satellite, successfully established its first communication with the Korean Peninsula after being launched aboard a SpaceX rocket.
According to the Korea Aerospace Agency, the satellite made contact with the ground station at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute in Daejeon at 10:50 PM KST on July 7, approximately 6 hours and 38 minutes after its launch.
During the initial communication, the Daejeon ground station confirmed the successful deployment of the satellite's solar panels and checked for any anomalies in the satellite's status information. Future communications will include tests of the X-band antenna deployment and the activation of the attitude control system.
Following its initial operations, CAS500-4 is set to begin its mission in 2027, providing data for agricultural and forestry observations, as well as disaster response related to wildfires and other emergencies.
CAS500-4 is the first domestically developed satellite specialized for agricultural and forestry monitoring. Weighing 514 kg, over 75% of its components, including the main body and payload, are domestically produced. The satellite features a wide-area electro-optical camera with a resolution of 5 meters and a 120 km observation width, allowing it to capture images of the entire Korean Peninsula every three days, enabling precise monitoring of crop flooding, growth conditions, and wildfire damage.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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