Gyeonggi Climate Satellite No. 1 to Launch in US on the 20th... Climate Monitoring from 500km Above Earth

Gyeonggi Province will launch "Gyeonggi Climate Satellite (GYEONGGISat-1)" No. 1, the first climate satellite project led by a local government in South Korea, on November 20. This comes 15 months after Governor Kim Dongyeon of Gyeonggi Province announced the climate satellite launch plan, making it a reality.

On this day, at 3:18 a.m. (Korea Standard Time), Gyeonggi Province will launch the Gyeonggi Climate Satellite No. 1 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, United States, and broadcast the launch live on the official YouTube channel of the Gyeonggi Provincial Government.

Gyeonggi Province will provide a real-time broadcast of the entire process-from the satellite being loaded onto the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to its deployment-via the Gyeonggi Provincial Government's YouTube channel. To allow residents to watch the live broadcast, Gyeonggi Province will also open the Planet Gyeonggi Hall (B1) at the Gyeonggi Provincial Library.

To help residents understand the necessity and expected benefits of the Gyeonggi Climate Satellite, Gyeonggi Province will operate a temporary situation room for the satellite from November 17 to 29 at the Residents' Lounge on the first basement level of the Suwon Gwanggyo Gyeonggi Credit Guarantee Foundation. Visitors will be able to see a life-sized model of the Gyeonggi Climate Satellite, watch climate satellite videos, and use the climate satellite photo zone, among other features.

Cha Seongsu, Director of the Climate, Environment, and Energy Bureau of Gyeonggi Province, stated, "The launch of the Gyeonggi Climate Satellite is not only an achievement in science and technology, but also the realization of Gyeonggi Province's commitment to leading the response to the climate crisis," adding, "We hope many residents will join us for this inspiring moment that opens the future of climate science."

Gyeonggi Climate Satellite No.1

Governor Kim Dongyeon of Gyeonggi Province announced the Gyeonggi Climate Satellite as one of the key projects for the latter half of his term at a press conference in August last year. In October of the same year, Gyeonggi Province established a basic implementation plan and selected the satellite development and operation agency through an open call in February and March of this year. The satellite was completed in July, and final preparations were made.

The Gyeonggi Climate Satellite No. 1 is an optical satellite weighing about 25 kg and built to the 16U (CubeSat standard) microsatellite specification. Despite its small size, it is equipped with a high-resolution multispectral payload and a high-speed data processing unit, enabling it to capture precise data based on images in the visible and near-infrared spectrum.

Orbiting about 500 km above the Earth's surface, the satellite will photograph an area of 14 x 40 km each time it passes over the Gyeonggi region, monitoring flood and wildfire damage, as well as changes in vegetation and land cover caused by natural disasters.

The satellite will be powered by onboard solar panels, performing its mission for three years, after which a decision will be made on whether to decommission or extend its operation. The high-precision data produced will be used for detailed monitoring of land use, rapid assessment of disaster damage and recovery, and surveillance of illegal forest and land destruction.

Gyeonggi Province plans to sequentially launch the second (GYEONGGISat-2A) and third (GYEONGGISat-2B) satellites starting in 2026.

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