The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) announced on the 29th that they will transport the first mass-produced practical satellite, the Ultra-Small Cluster Satellite No.1, to an overseas launch site.
The ultra-small cluster satellite was developed to frequently and accurately monitor the Korean Peninsula and the surrounding sea areas and quickly respond to national security threats and disasters.
The Ultra-Small Cluster Satellite No.1 departed the KAIST Satellite Research Center and will be transported from Incheon Airport to Auckland Airport in New Zealand and moved to the Mahia Peninsula satellite launch site.
At the launch site, Korean researchers will carry out final preparations for the launch, including a 10-day satellite status check and launcher assembly.
Once the preparations are complete, the satellite will be launched on an Electron launcher of RocketLab at 6:43 a.m. on April 24th.
The primary purpose of the Ultra-Small Cluster Satellite No.1, independently developed by KAIST, is to check the performance of an optical camera capable of filming in black and white with a resolution of 1m and in color with a resolution of 4m or more, from an altitude of around 500km (310.69 miles). Along with ten satellites that will be launched in the future, it will perform tasks of observing Earth for more than three years.
The Ministry of Science and ICT and KAIST will send five satellites into space with the Korean launcher Nuriho in 2026 and 2027.
President Kwang Hyung Lee of KAIST said, “The development and production of the Ultra-Small Cluster Satellite No.1 were achieved through industry-academic cooperation between KAIST, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, and Satrec Initiative. I expect this to function as a shortcut to elevate our space technology to the next level.”