KOMPSAT-3A, fully manufactured in South Korea, will be launched from the Yasny space center, located in Russia's Orenburg Region. The satellite is expected to establish contact with the South Korean ground station in less than six hours after the lift off.
South Korean authorities hope the satellite will enhance the country's ability to monitor the Earth's surface. The satellite "will complement the country's three other multipurpose satellites, including the KOMSAT-5," to provide 24-hour observation, said Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, according to Yonhap.
Dnepr placed KOMPSAT-5, also known as Arirang-5, into orbit in 2013. The satellite is designed to collect high-resolution images of the Earth's surface under all weather conditions. KOMPSAT-5 is the first South Korean satellite equipped with Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR).
The KOMPSAT project, launched two decades ago, is aimed at mapping and surveillance, as well as environment and weather monitoring, etc. It is run by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI).
