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KOMPSAT-3A launched

(Russia, March 27, 2015). KOMPSAT-3A was recently deployed in space from Yasny Launch Base, Russia. The major goal of the KOMPSAT-3A programme is to obtain imagery for GIS applications related to environment, agriculture, oceanographic studies as well as natural disasters using its 5.5m resolution IR (Infrared) sensor and 0.55m very high resolution EO (Electro-Optical).

KOMPSAT-3A has been designed and built by Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), a government-funded research institute located in Daejeon, South Korea. In addition, The KOMPSAT-3A programme is devoted to industrialisation of the bus system development by the domestic companies. Its two imaging payloads were made with technical support from Airbus Defense and Space and German Aerospace Center (DLR). The mission orbit is a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 528 km and life span is 4 years.

Known specifications of the Kompsat-3A satellite:

  • Liftoff mass: 1,000 kilograms
  • Power supply: 1.4 kilowatts
  • Operational life span: 4 years
  • Orbital altitude: 528 kilometers
  • Orbital period: 98.5 minutes
  • Imaging area revisit cycle: 28 days
  • Pan-chromatic resolution: 0.55 meters
  • Multi-spectral resolution: 2.2 meters
  • Infrared resolution: 5.5 meters

The KARI is responsible for the operation and public use of the KOMPSAT-3A data, and SI imaging-services is in charge of commercial marketing of KOMPSAT constellation, a unique combination of VHR optical data and SAR data, currently including KOMPSAT-2, KOMPSAT-3 and KOMPSAT-5.

Source: KARI