Delay in Launch of Korea's First Dedicated Military Communication Satellite

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) decided to resume the project, which was once at risk of being halted, after the Defense Acquisition Program Promotion Committee (DAPPC) meeting chaired by Defense Minister Han Min-gu approved the agreement between the U.S. Lockheed Martin and DAPA for the development of a military communications satellite.

[Asia Economy Reporter Yang Nak-gyu] The launch of 'Anasis 2,' South Korea's first dedicated military communications satellite, has been postponed. Originally scheduled for the morning of the 15th by SpaceX, a U.S. private space exploration company, the delay was due to extended inspection time of the propulsion system.

According to foreign media on the 15th, SpaceX announced via Twitter that during a thorough inspection of the second-stage propulsion system of the Falcon 9 rocket carrying Anasis 2, they may replace equipment if necessary, which led to the launch delay. The new launch time will be determined based on the final inspection results.

Anasis 2 was planned to be launched as part of a barter deal with Lockheed Martin when the South Korean military introduced the F-35A stealth fighter jet. It was manufactured by Airbus based on the 'Eurostar E3000' satellite platform. Anasis 2 can perform its mission in geostationary orbit 36,000 km above the Korean Peninsula using its own propulsion system.

On the 11th (local time), SpaceX announced that it successfully completed the 'static fire test' of the first-stage propulsion system of the Falcon 9 rocket as a final check before launch. The first-stage booster B1058 of the Falcon 9 rocket used for this launch was previously used on May 30 to carry the 'Crew Dragon' on its first manned flight to the International Space Station (ISS).

The launch of Anasis 2 is significant as South Korea's first military-dedicated communications satellite. From the perspective of the space industry, it was also expected to set a record by refurbishing and relaunching a recovered rocket in the shortest period ever of 44 days.

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