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By Tae-jun Kang
South Korea is on its way to become a major player in space.
South Korea has successfully sent a new science satellite into space, moving one step closer to its goal of becoming a major space power.
The Korea Multipurpose Satellite-3A (Arirang-3A) was launched on March 26 from the Yasny launch base in Russia. The satellite, which cost the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) about 230 billion won ($208 million) for development, will go through an early operating stage for up to six months. After that stage is complete, South Korea will become able to monitor the peninsula for 24 hours regardless of the weather by running three satellites: Arirang-3A, 3, and 2.
Arirang-3A is equipped with a mid-infrared sensor, which will allow it to detect events emitting high-temperatures (such as a forest fire, volcanic activity and even the operation of a nuclear facility). In addition, the optical cameras for the satellite have been greatly improved, so KARI is expecting to gather a variety of information with Arirang-3A.
Many see the successful launch of Arirang-3A as a big step for South Korea’s space technology, since it was the first satellite developed by private companies with skills learned from KARI. The previous satellites were developed by KARI, which is a government-funded organization.
Read the full story at The Diplomat