Korea′s latest satellite is now successfully...
orbiting the Earth...
after being launched from a base in Russia this morning.
Officials say... the satellite should be making its first contact with Korea′s ground station...
in about an hour from now.
Kim Min－ji tells us more.
The Korea Aerospace Research Institute said the Korea Multipurpose Satellite－3A established
radio contact with a satellite station in Antarctica at 7.40 am Seoul time， about
30 minutes after its launch.
It later made contact with a ground station in Norway，... and all of its solar panels
have been deployed.
In about an hour， the satellite is expected to initiate contact with Korea′s own ground
station.
The satellite， also known as Arirang－3A， was launched just past 7 a.m.
Korea time from Russia′s Yasny launch base.
It was sent into space on the Dnepr a Russian rocket converted from a Soviet－era intercontinental
ballistic missile.
The launch comes as Korea is attempting to make inroads into the global space industry.
Particularly， Korea′s satellite development is ramping up， while the country is planning
to develop its own launch vehicle for testing by 2019.
Korean officials hope the satellite will boost the country′s ability to monitor the Earth′s
surface，... and complement the nation′s three other multipurpose satellites currently
in space.
The 11－hundred ton satellite has the most powerful optical lens of any Korean satellite
yet.
It can provide clear images of any object larger than 50 centimeters in diameter on
the earth′s surface.
It′s also equipped with an infrared sensor that can monitor volcanic movements or forest
fires.
The Arirang－3A will circle the earth 15 times a day for the next four years.
Kim Min－ji， Arirang News.