Successful Launch of Cheollian 2B... "Technology Transfer to the Private Sector" (Comprehensive)

The Ariane 5 ECA carrying the Cheollian 2B was launched at 7:19 a.m. on the 19th. (Live broadcast screen from the website of Arianespace, a European space company)

[Asia Economy Reporter Junho Hwang] Cheollian 2B, the world's first geostationary satellite for atmospheric environment observation, was successfully launched at 7:18 a.m. (Korean time) on the 19th. Subsequently, at 7:55 a.m. on the same day, the first communication was successfully established, officially marking the success of the launch. Cheollian 2B will ascend to geostationary orbit to secure information-gathering capabilities and will transmit atmospheric and oceanic environmental data collected from an altitude of 36,000 km for 10 years.

Successful Launch of Cheollian 2B

The Ariane 5 ECA carrying Cheollian 2B was launched at 7:19 a.m. on the 19th. (Live broadcast screen from the website of Arianespace, a European space company)

On that day, at the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana, the Ariane 5 ECA launch vehicle carrying Cheollian 2B roared into the sky. Following the predetermined sequence of solid booster separation, satellite fairing separation, first-stage engine separation, and second-stage engine separation, the launch vehicle placed Cheollian 2B into a transfer orbit at an altitude of 1,630 km. This occurred approximately 31 minutes after launch. The transfer orbit is the first waypoint en route to Cheollian 2B’s final destination, the geostationary orbit.

Six minutes later, Cheollian 2B successfully established its first communication with the ground station in Yatharaga, Australia. This first communication officially confirmed the success of the launch. Through this communication, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute confirmed that the satellite’s main system and overall condition were good and that it had successfully settled into the target transfer orbit.

Cheollian 2B then began deploying its solar panels, a process necessary to supply power and control its attitude. Starting tomorrow, operations to enter geostationary orbit will commence. Through a total of five engine burns, the satellite will enter a drifting orbit and then proceed to the geostationary orbit located at 128.2 degrees east longitude. This operation will take approximately 2 to 3 weeks.

World-Class Geostationary Orbit Technology Transferred to the Private Sector

Jeong Byeong-seon, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT, is inspecting the launch site of Cheollian 2B.

Cheollian 2B will undergo seven months of orbital testing to secure precise atmospheric and oceanic environmental observation data. After completing these tests, it will orbit the Earth at the same rotational speed as the planet, delivering oceanic environmental data and atmospheric pollutant concentration information. Jang Yoon-seok, Director of the National Institute of Environmental Research, stated, "The greatest advantage is that it can continuously monitor the Korean Peninsula," adding, "It will allow us to track fine dust pathways more precisely and accurately than before."

Information on foreign fine dust influences and atmospheric pollutants provided by Cheollian 2B will be available starting next year. From the year after next, Cheollian 2B will form a trilateral constellation with geostationary atmospheric environment observation satellites launched by the United States and Europe, enabling global atmospheric environment monitoring. Oceanic information will be provided starting this October, including data on the movement of pollutants such as green and red tides, oil spills, and marine debris, as well as various oceanic characteristics like sea fog, sea ice, fishery environment indices, and salinity levels.

Jung Byung-sun, First Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT, said, "With this launch, South Korea has acquired world-class development capabilities not only in low Earth orbit satellites but also in geostationary satellites," and added, "We will support transferring these matured satellite development capabilities to the private sector to strengthen our economy."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.