New milestone
Arirang-3 satellite put into orbit
By Kim Tae-gyu
Korea has become the fourth nation in the world to possess a commercial satellite that can take high quality photographs of objects on the ground less than a meter in size from an orbit hundreds of kilometers above the earth.
The state-run Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) said Friday that the Arirang-3 satellite successfully entered orbit after it was launched just after midnight on a Japanese rocket.
``The multi-purpose satellite has an optical camera, which can capture images of objects as small as 70 centimeters from 685 kilometers above the ground,’’ a KARI official said.
``Currently, only the United States, Israel and the European Union commercially operate these satellites and Korea has become No. 4.’’
The high-resolution camera aboard the 980-kilogram satellite is able to identify vehicles on the road and even traffic signs so that Asia’s fourth-largest economy can obtain more accurate data.
The precision images are expected to help the nation collect geographical data on the Korean Peninsula, develop natural resources and help prepare for natural disasters.
In addition, it is expected to help enhance national security, delivering better intelligence on North Korea giving the South an advantage over the Stalinist state.
The satellite, which moves at a speed of 7.4 kilometers per second, will pass over the Korean Peninsula twice a day at 1:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
With the successful lift-off of Arirang 3, the KARI expects Korea to join the stiff competition among advanced nations in running ultra-high resolution satellites.
Currently, the U.S. has the most advanced technology in airborne optical cameras with reconnaissance satellites that can capture images of objects of just 10cm across.
``After lifting off at 1:39 a.m. Friday from the Tanegashima Space Center located in Japan’s southwestern Gagoshima Prefecture, the satellite operated just as planned communicating several times with ground stations including us,’’ the KARI official said.
KARI announced that all the observation satellite’s equipment including solar panels is working normally.
KARI has spent a total of 282.6 billion won since 2004 to develop the satellite along with a host of domestic companies such as the Korea Aerospace Industries and Doowon Heavy Industries.
Up until now, Korea has operated two satellites, the Chollian geo-stationary communication satellite and before the Arirang 2 equipped with a camera that has a 1-meter resolution.
The Seoul administration is seeking to put five other satellites into orbit in the not-so-distant future.