KAI successfully launches South Korea's first satellite dedicated to agriculture and forestry

Korea Aerospace Industries has successfully launched the fourth next-generation mid-sized satellite, marking the country's first satellite dedicated exclusively to agriculture and forestry observation.

KAI said Wednesday that the satellite lifted off at 12:12 a.m. Tuesday local time from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California and established contact with a ground station in Svalbard, Norway, at 3:05 a.m. After completing operational checks, the satellite is expected to enter full government service in the first half of next year.

The fourth satellite was developed as a wide-area agriculture and forestry observation satellite. It carries a 120-kilometer swath width — wide enough to image the entire Korean Peninsula in just three passes — and a resolution of approximately 5 meters. Drawing on its imagery data, the satellite will support a range of public-sector needs, including crop growth monitoring and yield analysis, greenhouse gas estimation and forest resource forecasting, as well as precise observation of deforestation and wildfire damage.

KAI was designated the lead developer of the next-generation mid-sized satellite program in 2015. Beyond the agriculture and forestry mission, the program encompasses satellites dedicated to land and maritime observation and to the acquisition of space technology.

"The successful launch of the fourth satellite, following the launch of the second next-generation mid-sized satellite in May, is an achievement of the New Space era made possible through public-private collaboration," KAI chief executive Kim Jong-chul said. "Building on this success, KAI will expand satellite exports and space service projects as South Korea's national aerospace champion and contribute to making the country a powerhouse in the space economy."