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Korean Earth observation satellite launched aboard SpaceX rocket

Published: 03 May. 2026, 17:24 Updated: 03 May. 2026, 18:58

Korea’s homegrown Earth observation satellite, the Compact Advanced Satellite 500-2 (CAS500-2), is launched into space on May 3, from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, United States. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Korea’s homegrown Earth observation satellite, the Compact Advanced Satellite 500-2 (CAS500-2), was launched into space on Sunday.

The satellite lifted off at 3:59 p.m. Korea time aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, according to the Korea AeroSpace Administration and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

The satellite is scheduled to separate from the rocket about 60 minutes after launch and attempt its first communication with a ground station in Svalbard, Norway, about 75 minutes after liftoff to confirm whether it has successfully entered orbit. Its target orbit is a low Earth orbit at an altitude of about 498 kilometers (309 miles).

The CAS500-2 is a 500-kilogram-class Earth observation satellite based on a standard platform, weighing 534 kilograms (1,177 pounds), and capable of capturing images at a resolution of 0.5 meters (1.6 feet) in black and white and 2 meters in color.

After about four months of initial operations, the satellite will be used for land management and disaster response starting in the second half of the year.

The project was led by Korea Aerospace Industries. It is significant as the first medium-sized satellite independently developed under the leadership of private industry. The launch was originally scheduled to take place in Russia in 2022 but was delayed due to the war, with the schedule revised multiple times afterward.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY BAE JAE-SUNG [[email protected]]