South Korean KOMPSAT-3A satellite put in designated orbit

MOSCOW, March 26. /TASS/. A South Korean remote sensing satellite KOMPSAT-3A launched on Thursday from Russia’s Orenburg region by a Russian-Ukrainian carrier rocket Dnepr has been put in the designated orbit, a source in the space sector told TASS. "The satellite separated from the carrier rocket in a routine regime," the source said. The KOMPSAT-3A satellite was developed by Korea Aerospace Research Institute /KARI/ jointly with a number of companies. It is meant for civilian uses /meteorology, natural hazards warning, environmental monitoring/ and for the use in the interests on national defence. The 980-kilogram satellite is equipped with high-efficiency opto-electronic tools for surface scanning with a resolution of 70 centimetres. Its working life in orbit is at least four years. The cost of the satellite is about 243 million U.S. dollars. The Dnepr is a three-stage liquid-fueled rocket. Its first and second stages are used in the RS-20 ballistic missiles /SS-18 Satan/. The company Cosmotrans works on the modernization of RS-20B missiles developed in Ukraine’s Dnepropetrovsk. Launched are performed from the Baikonur space centre and from the Orenburg region. Previous launch of the Dnepr rocket took place in November 2014. According to Cosmotrans, two more Dnepr launches are planned for 2015. Read more