[3rd Report] Successful Launch of Korea Military's First Dedicated Communication Satellite

Launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Kennedy Space Center, USA
First communication attempt with French Satellite Operations Center (TSOC) about 18 minutes later

On the afternoon of the 20th (local time in the United States), the military's independent communication satellite ANASIS-II is preparing for launch. (Photo by Defense Acquisition Program Administration)

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu Reporter] South Korea's first dedicated military communications satellite, 'Anasis 2,' was successfully launched. With this, our military has become the 10th country in the world to secure a dedicated military satellite.

On the 21st, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration announced, "Anasis 2 was successfully launched at 5:30 p.m. on the 20th (local time in the U.S.) from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in the United States."

Anasis 2 separated normally from the Falcon 9 launch vehicle about 32 minutes after launch at an altitude of approximately 630 km. About 18 minutes later (50 minutes after launch), it is scheduled to attempt its first communication with the Toulouse Satellite Operations Center (TSOC) in France. TSOC (Toulouse Space Operations Center) is a satellite control center located in Toulouse, France. This institution monitors the satellite's status and analyzes received information during the initial orbit operation phase (LEOP) after launch until it reaches its target orbit.

The satellite manufacturer, Airbus of France, plans to continuously check the overall status of Anasis 2, including its main body, through communication with the ground station and confirm whether the satellite settles into its target orbit. After launch, Anasis 2 will deploy its antenna and solar panels to check the power supply and operational capability necessary for its mission. Then, over about two weeks, it will perform intermediate orbit adjustments to finally settle into a geostationary orbit at an altitude of 36,000 km. After reaching geostationary orbit, the satellite's performance will be verified for about one month.

Anasis 2 was launched as an offset trade (technology transfer or compensation related to arms sales) deal with Lockheed Martin when the Korean military introduced the F-35A stealth fighter. Airbus based it on the 'Eurostar E3000' satellite. Anasis 2 can perform its mission in geostationary orbit 36,000 km above the Korean Peninsula using its own propulsion system.

The Korean military currently uses the 'Mugunghwa 5' satellite, a dual-use (civilian and military) satellite, to build its military communication system. However, since it is not exclusively military, it is vulnerable to enemy jamming attacks. If the existing dual-use satellite is jammed by the enemy, the military has no choice but to use the U.S. military satellite communication network.

A military official said, "Securing the first dedicated military satellite is also related to acquiring key capabilities for the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON)." He added, "The military plans to gradually secure surveillance reconnaissance satellites and early warning satellites in the future, and it is expected that the Korean military's ability to conduct independent operations will improve."

Meanwhile, SpaceX, which launched Anasis 2, was founded by Tesla CEO Elon Musk and successfully launched the manned spacecraft 'Crew Dragon' for the first time as a private company on May 30. The first-stage booster B1058 of the Falcon 9 rocket used in this launch was previously used to carry the Crew Dragon to the International Space Station (ISS) and was recovered from the Atlantic Ocean for reuse preparation.

SpaceX has launched rockets 12 times this year, but this is the first time it has launched a customer-ordered satellite. In the previous 11 launches, SpaceX launched its own Starlink communication satellites and U.S. Space Force dedicated satellites and transported NASA astronauts to the ISS.

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