Arirang-2
Encyclopedia
Arirang-2, also known as KOMPSAT-2, is a South Korea
n multipurpose satellite
. It was launched from Plesetsk
, Russia at 4:05 PM KST
on 28 July 2006. It began to transmit signals at 11 PM the same day. Like the earlier Arirang-1
satellite, it takes its name from the popular Korean folk song Arirang
. Its launch was the culmination of a project begun in 1999.
Arirang-2 orbits at a height of 685 kilometers, circling the Earth 14 times per day, and is expected to maintain that orbit for 3 years. It weighs 765 kilograms.
The satellite carries a high-powered digital camera which can distinguish to a 1-meter resolution, allowing the identification of individual vehicles on the ground. Among other purposes, this will allow the South Korean intelligence service to observe North Korean military activities. Prior to the launch of this satellite, the South Koreans had been largely dependent upon surveillance information provided by the United States
.
The South Korean KOMPSAT-2 Earth-imaging satellite was developed by KARI (Korea Aerospace Research Institute), in partnership with EADS Astrium, to assure continuity with the KOMPSAT-1 satellite launched in 1999. KOMPSAT-2 was orbited on 28 July 2006 by a Rockot launcher from Plessetsk, Russia. Spot Image
is the distributor of KOMPSAT-2 imagery.
KOMPSAT-2 radiometer features:
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n multipurpose satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
. It was launched from Plesetsk
Plesetsk
Plesetsk is an urban locality Plesetsk is an urban locality Plesetsk is an urban locality (a work settlement and the administrative center of Plesetsky District, Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, situated about northeast of Moscow and south of Arkhangelsk. Municipally, it is the administrative...
, Russia at 4:05 PM KST
Korea Standard Time
Korea Standard Time is the standard time zone in North and South Korea and is 9 hours ahead of UTC : i.e., when it is midnight UTC, it is 9 am Korea Standard Time. Korea does not currently observe daylight saving time but has experimented with it in the past...
on 28 July 2006. It began to transmit signals at 11 PM the same day. Like the earlier Arirang-1
Arirang-1
Arirang-1 or Arirang I is an unmanned artificial satellite created by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute and launched by a US rocket on December 21, 1999. This was the first satellite built primarily by South Korean engineers, although previous foreign-built satellites had been launched by...
satellite, it takes its name from the popular Korean folk song Arirang
Arirang
"Arirang" is a Korean folk song, sometimes considered the unofficial national anthem of Korea. Arirang is an ancient native Korean word with no direct modern meaning.- Variations :...
. Its launch was the culmination of a project begun in 1999.
Arirang-2 orbits at a height of 685 kilometers, circling the Earth 14 times per day, and is expected to maintain that orbit for 3 years. It weighs 765 kilograms.
The satellite carries a high-powered digital camera which can distinguish to a 1-meter resolution, allowing the identification of individual vehicles on the ground. Among other purposes, this will allow the South Korean intelligence service to observe North Korean military activities. Prior to the launch of this satellite, the South Koreans had been largely dependent upon surveillance information provided by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
History
South Korea started the KOMPSAT programme in 1995 to nurture its national Earth-imaging industry and supply services for remote-sensing applications.The South Korean KOMPSAT-2 Earth-imaging satellite was developed by KARI (Korea Aerospace Research Institute), in partnership with EADS Astrium, to assure continuity with the KOMPSAT-1 satellite launched in 1999. KOMPSAT-2 was orbited on 28 July 2006 by a Rockot launcher from Plessetsk, Russia. Spot Image
Spot Image
Spot Image, a public limited company created in 1982 by the French Space Agency, Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales , the IGN, and Space Manufacturers is a subsidiary of EADS Astrium...
is the distributor of KOMPSAT-2 imagery.
Orbit
KOMPSAT-2 operates in a near-polar, circular Sun-synchronous orbit. The orbital parameters are:- Mean altitude: 685 km
- Mass: 800 kg
- Inclination: 98° (Sun-synchronous)
- Orbital period: 1hr 38 min 27 sec
- Orbital cycle: 28 days
Instruments
KOMPSAT-2’s instruments are designed to acquire high- and very-high-resolution imagery with a footprint of 15 km. The satellite has the capacity to acquire 20 minutes of imagery on each orbit and it can steer its sensors both ways out to 30° off track. Panchromatic and multispectral images can be acquired at the same time.KOMPSAT-2 radiometer features:
| mode | Channel | Spectral band | Spatial resolution | Footprint |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multispectral | 1 | 0,45 - 0,52 mm (blue) | 4 m | 15 km |
| 2 | 0,52 - 0,60 mm (green) | 4 m | 15 km | |
| 3 | 0,63 - 0,69 mm (rouge) | 4 m | 15 km | |
| 4 | 0,76 - 0,90 mm (near-infrared) | 4 m | 15 km | |
| panchromatic | P | 0,50 - 0,90 mm (black and white) | 1 m | 15 km |
Ground receiving stations
Two receiving stations deliver KOMPSAT-2 imagery 1 to 3 days after acquisition and in under 24 hours in Europe. The Deajeon station in South Korea is responsible for tasking the satellite. The Toulouse station in France is responsible for updating the catalogue, producing imagery and delivering it to its customers.Advantages and applications of KOMPSAT-2 imagery
KOMPSAT-2 is designed for very-high-resolution (VHR) remote-sensing applications, such as:- Land planning: to detect and identify features smaller than 1 sq.m., e.g. vehicles, street furnishings, roads and bushes
- Agriculture: to pinpoint crop or tree diseases
- Urban planning and demographics: to locate detached houses
- Defence: to describe high-value assets or military sites
- Civil engineering: to plan road, railroad and oil pipeline corridors