S. Korea's new science satellite successfully deployed after launch
South Korea's new science satellite launched Thursday from a Russian site made radio contact, confirming its successful deployment in space, South Korean developers of the satellite said.Officials from the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) said beacon signals from the Korea Multipurpose Satellite-3A (KOMSAT-3A) were picked up by Norway's Troll Satellite Station in Antarctica at 7:40 a.m. KST, or about 32 minutes after the launch.The satellite is expected to make its first contact with South Korea's own ground station at 1:05 a.m., or 5 hours, 56 minutes after its launch, according to the officials.The KOMSAT-3A lifted off at 3:08 a.m. (7:08 a.m. KST) from the Yasny launch base, located some 1,800 kilometers southeast of Moscow.The 1,100-kilogram satellite was sent into space on a Russian rocket, Dnepr, a launch vehicle converted from a Soviet-era intercontinental ballistic missile.Real-time observation of the launch was unavailable as the Russian launch pad remains completely off-limits to public access.The science satellite is designed to complement South Korea's three other
Mar 26, 2015