Mahia: A South Korean nanosatellite was launched into orbit Friday as part of the nation's project to create a satellite constellation for Earth observation by 2027, officials said. The NEONSAT-1A, an Earth observation satellite, lifted off aboard the Electron rocket of U.S. space company Rocket Lab from the firm's Mahia Launch Complex in New Zealand.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the satellite was developed by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). It is the second among a total of 11 nanosatellites that will form a satellite constellation aimed at monitoring and taking images of the Korean Peninsula and its surrounding regions.