The Korea AeroSpace Administration and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology announced on Oct. 15 that five microsatellites launched aboard South Korea's Nuri rocket transmitted Earth observation images to a ground station roughly 14 hours after entering space.
Early imagery transmission
The agencies said the second through sixth units of the country's first microsatellite constellation captured their initial images of Earth's surface and beamed them down approximately 14 hours and 29 minutes after launch.
The transmission confirmed the satellite body and optical payload operated normally immediately after launch. All five satellites from the first mass-produced batch are communicating with the ground station, with power generation and altitude control systems maintaining normal status.
Automation and operational improvements
The time required to capture and deliver the initial images was significantly shorter than for earlier satellites. Officials attributed the faster turnaround to revised inspection procedures developed during past prototype and demonstration missions, alongside automation systems that support simultaneous multi-satellite operations.
KASA Administrator Oh Taeseog called the achievement a milestone confirming stable in-orbit operations for domestically mass-produced microsatellites, adding that the agency aims to translate the capabilities into public satellite-based information services.
Key facts and where they come from
- Five microsatellites from South Korea's first constellation sent Earth observation images to a ground station about 14 hours and 29 minutes after launch.
second through sixth units of the constellation captured their first images of the planet's surface and transmitted them to a ground station approximately 14 hours and 29 minutes after launch.
- The satellites launched earlier in the month aboard the domestically developed Nuri rocket.
A constellation of five microsatellites launched into space aboard the domestically developed rocket Nuri earlier this month
- Core functions such as power generation and altitude control are operating normally across all five mass-produced units.
with their core systems like power generation and altitude control maintaining normal operating condition.
- Automated operations enabled multiple satellites to run simultaneously, reducing the time needed to acquire initial imagery.
use of automation technology enabling the simultaneous operation of multiple satellites.
