Seoul: The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) has secured early-stage data showing that scientific equipment aboard a satellite launched by the country's homegrown Nuri rocket last month is functioning properly, officials said Thursday. The CAS500-3, built by Korea Aerospace Industries Co., carries three types of equipment: a camera to observe auroras and other atmospheric light, an instrument that tracks changes in charged particles around Earth, and a device that tests 3D bio-printing of stem cells in space.
According to Yonhap News Agency, all three pieces of equipment operated stably during their first two weeks in orbit. The camera confirmed it can capture a very wide area while still picking up fine details on Earth's surface, and the bio-experiment device passed its first checks while keeping stem cells alive through its system. The satellite will conduct observations of Earth's auroras and upper atmosphere and be used in various experiments through the experiment payloads.