Seoul: Arirang 7, South Korea's multipurpose satellite, has successfully entered orbit after lifting off from a space center in South America, the country's space agency announced.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the satellite, also known as the Korea Multipurpose Satellite 7, was deployed from the Vega-C rocket 44 minutes after its launch from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana. The liftoff occurred at 2:21 p.m. Monday (French Guiana time), or 2:21 a.m. Tuesday (Korean time). The Vega-C rocket is operated by France-based Arianespace.
The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), responsible for developing Arirang 7, confirmed the satellite's condition upon establishing contact with Russia's Antarctic ground station at 3:30 a.m. (Korean time). KARI further verified the successful orbital insertion through data provided by Arianespace.
Arirang 7 is equipped with an ultra-high-resolution electro-optical camera and an infrared sensor. It is anticipated to deliver high-quality imagery for purposes such as environmental monitoring, disaster management, and urban heat island analysis.