Korea will launch satellites from the Pacific Ocean

In July, Korea will launch a satellite from the sea for the first time. The launch pad is located in the South Pacific near Hawaii, according to the KT telecom group (South Korea).

Recently, KT Telecom (South Korea) announced that the new satellite will be launched from a floating platform at a point near the equator, 154o West longitude. This will be the first satellite in Korea and the 23rd satellite in the world to be launched from the sea.

Arirang I multi-function satellite is manufactured by Korean Space Research Institute (KARI).

KT said Koreasat-5 - Korea's fourth commercial satellite, also known as 'Mugunghwa-5' (called the Korean national name), will be the first satellite to officially serve the military industry. This new satellite will replace Koreasat-2 satellite that has been used for 10 years since 1996.

Koreasat-5 satellite will be launched into orbit on the earth's surface about 36,000km. Satellite launch locations are selected based on safety, cost and international law.

Cho Chul-je, a KT group spokesman, said the use of the launch pad alone would reduce costs by 30%.

The launch of Koreasat-5 satellite will be carried out by Sea Launch international corporation. This is the only company in the world that is allowed to launch satellites from the sea. Sea Launch was established in 1995 with the largest shareholder is Boeing (USA) manufacturing corporation with 40% stake.

Currently, there are 7 satellites in Korea in operation, but only 2 of KT's satellites are geostationary. They can float in the same position and rotate at the same speed as the earth to continuously transmit TV and other communication signals.

Currently, KT has two satellites in orbit, Koreasat-2 and Koreasat-3. Each satellite has a lifespan of 10 years. According to Cho, normally, satellites are launched in many locations in Africa or the United States.

Minh Thuong