The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) announced Monday that the Next-Generation Mid-Size Satellite 2 successfully launched at 4 p.m. from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
The satellite was launched aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 after completing preparatory work, including functional checks and fuel injection, over the past 30-plus days at Vandenberg Space Force Base. SpaceX had initially planned to launch the Falcon 9 at 3:59 p.m., but changed the launch time due to the risk of a spacecraft collision. KASA explained that "the Next-Generation Mid-Size Satellite 2 will separate from the launch vehicle approximately 60 minutes after launch, and will then establish its first communication with the Svalbard ground station in Norway about 15 minutes later."
The Next-Generation Mid-Size Satellite 2 is the first satellite independently developed under industry leadership, with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) completing the development as the overall managing institution. After launch, the satellite will undergo initial operations for about four months in an orbit at an altitude of approximately 498 kilometers, before beginning full-scale missions in the second half of the year.
The Next-Generation Mid-Size Satellite 2 will carry out missions to manage national land resources and respond to disaster situations.
