In July, South Korea will launch a satellite from the sea for the first time. The launch pad is located in the South Pacific near Hawaii, according to the telecommunications company KT (South Korea).
Recently, KT announced that the new satellite will be launched from a floating platform situated near the equator, at 154° West longitude. This will be the first satellite launched from the sea in South Korea and the 23rd in the world.
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The multifunctional Arirang I satellite was developed by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI). |
KT announced that Koreasat-5 – South Korea’s fourth commercial satellite, also known as “Mugunghwa-5” (named after the national flower of South Korea), will officially serve the military sector. This new satellite will replace Koreasat-2, which has been in operation for 10 years since 1996.
The Koreasat-5 satellite will be launched into an orbit approximately 36,000 km above the Earth’s surface. The launch site was selected based on safety, cost, and international regulations.
Mr. Cho Chul-je, spokesperson for KT, mentioned that simply using a sea launch platform would help reduce costs by 30%.
The launch of Koreasat-5 will be conducted by the international company Sea Launch, the only company in the world authorized to launch satellites from the sea. Sea Launch was established in 1995, with Boeing (USA) as the largest shareholder, holding 40% of the shares.
Currently, South Korea has 7 operational satellites, but only 2 of KT’s satellites are geostationary. These satellites can hover in the same position and rotate at the same speed as the Earth, allowing for continuous transmission of television signals and other communications.
At present, KT has two satellites in orbit: Koreasat-2 and Koreasat-3. Each satellite has a lifespan of 10 years. According to Mr. Cho, satellites are typically launched from various locations in Africa or the United States.
Minh Thuong
