Successful Launch of Korea's First Domestic Aviation Satellite 1... Initiating Full-Scale Korean Satellite Services

Aerospace Satellite No. 1

Reducing GPS Error Information to 1~1.6m Level

Providing Precise Location Information Service Nationwide in South Korea Starting 2023

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Min-young] The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 23rd that it has successfully launched the first Korean Aviation Satellite Service (KASS) aviation satellite.

The first aviation satellite was launched from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, South America, at around 6:50 a.m. Korean time on the 23rd (around 6:50 p.m. local time on the 22nd). The launch was delayed by 47 minutes from the originally scheduled time. After processes such as the separation of the satellite protective cover (fairing) and the first-stage rocket separation, the satellite was successfully separated about 28 minutes later.

The properly separated first aviation satellite is expected to settle into a geostationary orbit (approximately 36,000 km) about 12 days later. The government plans to officially provide services starting in 2023 after orbit stabilization and signal testing.

KASS is the world's seventh system officially registered with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Existing GPS experiences errors of about 15 to 33 meters due to refraction when radio waves pass through the ionosphere, but the aviation satellite can correct the error range to 1 to 1.6 meters.

The first aviation satellite is a 15-year lease of Malaysia's MEASAT communication and broadcasting satellite, manufactured by Airbus. Since the satellite is positioned over South Korea, anyone nationwide can use the signal free of charge 24 hours a day. Furthermore, it can provide more precise and reliable location information for future mobility location-based service industries such as navigation, drones, autonomous driving, and urban air mobility (UAM).

On the day, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong visited the satellite control room at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute in Daejeon to personally observe the live broadcast of the first aviation satellite launch.

Minister Won said, "Today will be a meaningful day," adding, "It is expected to bring revolutionary changes to the aviation technology mobility industry and location-based industries. We have become capable of leaping forward as a strong aerospace nation."

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