Korea's Earth observation satellite separates from rocket after launch from US base

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket streaks across the sky at sunset after liftoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Los Angeles, June 24. Reuters-Yonhap

A Korean Earth observation satellite was successfully launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Tuesday, the country's space agency said.

The next-generation medium-sized satellite No. 4 successfully separated from the launch vehicle at around 6:42 p.m. Tuesday, about two hours and 30 minutes after liftoff.

The satellite lifted off at 12:12 a.m. (local time), or 4:12 p.m. (Korea time), aboard the Falcon 9 as part of the Transporter-17 rideshare mission, which carried 81 payloads.

The satellite will attempt its first communication with the Svalbard ground station in Norway about 31 minutes later, the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) said.

The country's first satellite dedicated to agriculture and forestry is designed to support a wide range of applications, including crop monitoring, forest management, disaster response and climate analysis.

The satellite carries a domestically developed wide-area observation camera capable of imaging the entire Korean Peninsula every three days.

If initial operations proceed as planned, the satellite will undergo three to four months of image calibration and data verification before entering full-scale service in the first half of 2027, KASA said.