Key facts
- South Korea launched its next-generation medium-sized satellite No. 4 from Vandenberg Space Force Base.
- The satellite was carried by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as part of the Transporter-17 rideshare mission.
- The satellite is designed for applications in agriculture, forestry, disaster response, and climate analysis.
- It features a domestically developed wide-area observation camera capable of imaging the Korean Peninsula every three days.
- Full-scale service is anticipated in the first half of 2027 following a calibration period.
South Korea's next-generation medium-sized satellite No. 4 was successfully launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Tuesday. The launch was part of the Transporter-17 rideshare mission, which carried 81 payloads.
The satellite is scheduled to separate from the launch vehicle approximately two hours and 22 minutes after liftoff. Its first communication attempt with the Svalbard ground station in Norway is expected about 31 minutes later, according to the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA).
This satellite is dedicated to agriculture and forestry and is designed to support various applications, including crop monitoring, forest management, disaster response, and climate analysis. It is equipped with a domestically developed wide-area observation camera that can image 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.