Korea South

In 1990 KARI was funded to build the first indigenous sounding rocket, using a solid motor of roughly the same weight but a more slender aspect ration and longer burn time. One and two-stage versions of the rocket were flown in the 1990's as the KSR-I and KSR-II. In December 1997 KARI was allowed to proceed with development of liquid oxygen/kerosene rocket motor of 12.5 tonnes thrust. This was the same size as that built for the American Vanguard, and the intent was to build a minim satellite launch vehicle. A single test launch of the planned modular booster stage took place as the KSR-III in 2002. It was then planned to launch a satellite booster by 2005, but the South Korean government decided it wanted to be among the top ten spacefaring nations by 2015, and the existing program was too limited in growth potential to allow that.

Therefore it was decided to leapfrog the technology by contracting with Russian companies to assist in building a new space launch centre at Doheung on the southern tip of the Korean peninsula, together with a large space launch vehicle based on the Khrunichev Angara modular booster. This multi-billion dollar program got underway with some indirection in 2004. First launch of the KSLV-I launch vehicle from the new space centre was scheduled for 2007, with completion of the spaceport and launch of a 1500 kg South Korean satellite into sun-synchronous orbit by 2015.

• Anhueng. Agency: KARI. Type: Suborbital Launch Site. Location: Chungchongnamdo. Latitude: 36.7021. Longitude: 126.4716.

• Goheung. Agency: KARI. Type: Orbital Launch Site. Location: Goheung, Jeollanamdo. Latitude: 34.4258. Longitude: 127.5279.

• Mace South Korea. Agency: US Army. Operating Country: USA. Type: IRCM Base. Latitude: 35.9000. Longitude: 126.6000.

• KSLV. - orbital launch vehicle - Status: Development. South Korean launch vehicle family. Originally they were to be of completely indigenous design; but in 2005 it was now announced that they would use the (in-development, unflown) Russian Angara booster module as the basis. The program, like that of the Angara, was subject to continuous funding shortages and schedule delays.

• KSR. - sounding rocket - Status: Active. South Korean indigenous sounding and test rocket family, using solid rocket motors and a test vehicle with a liquid oxygen/kerosene motor. Further development of the latter into the KSLV satellite launch vehicle was abandoned in 2005 in favor of licensed Russian technology.

• SSM Korea. - short range ballistic missile - Status: Active.

• Arirang. - Surveillance Civilian

• Kitsat. - Technology

• KOMPSAT. - Technology Communications

• KOMPSAT-2. - Surveillance Civilian

• STSat. - Technology

• Yi So-yeon. - Yi So-yeon Korean Engineer Cosmonaut. Born 2 June 1978. Number of Flights: 1.00. Total Time: 10.88 days.

1992 August 10 - 23:08 GMT - Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Complex: ELA2. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Ariane. Model: Ariane 42P. LV Configuration: Ariane 42P V52.

• Oscar 23 Program: Oscar. Payload: Kitsat-A. Mass: 50 kg (110 lb). Class: Communications. Type: Amateur Radio. Spacecraft: MicroSat-70. Manufacturer: Surrey. Agency: KAIST. Perigee: 1,310 km (810 mi). Apogee: 1,322 km (821 mi). Inclination: 66.10 deg. Period: 111.90 min. COSPAR: 1992-052B. USAF Sat Cat: 22077. Korean's first satellite achieved via a technology transfer programme with Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. Carried store and forward communications, DSP and Earth observation payloads. Still operational in 2000. References: 2, 6. Level: 1.

• Ozone profile mission Agency: KARI. Apogee: 39 km (24 mi). Ultraviolet radiometer to measure vertical ozone distribution in the stratosphere over the Korean peninsula. Rocket performance also monitored. References: 2. Level: 1.

• Ozone profile mission Agency: KARI. Apogee: 49 km (30 mi). Ultraviolet radiometer to measure vertical ozone distribution in the stratosphere over the Korean peninsula. Rocket performance also monitored. References: 2. Level: 1.

• Kitsat-2 Program: Oscar. Payload: Oscar 25. Mass: 49 kg (108 lb). Class: Communications. Type: Amateur Radio. Spacecraft: Kitsat. Agency: KAIST. Perigee: 790 km (490 mi). Apogee: 801 km (497 mi). Inclination: 98.30 deg. Period: 100.80 min. COSPAR: 1993-061C. USAF Sat Cat: 22825. KITSAT-OSCAR 25 was a South Korean experimental microsatellite based on the SSTL UoSAT bus built by the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). KO-25 was operated from The Satellite Technology Research Center (SaTReC) in South Korea. KO-25's mission was to take CCD pictures, process numerical information, measure radiation, and receive and forward messages. The Infrared Sensor Experiment (IREX) was designed to acquire I/V characteristics of IR sensors. A passive cooling structure was devised for this experiment. KO-25 was eventually operated purely as a packet store-and-forward satellite. References: 2, 6. Level: 1.

• Kompsat contract Spacecraft: KOMPSAT. TRW and Korean engineers would work together to develop the spacecraft. KOMPSAT was based on TRW's Eagle class of light weight, modular spacecraft. Level: 1.

• Mugunghwa 1 Program: Koreasat. Payload: Koreasat 1. Mass: 1,459 kg (3,216 lb). Class: Communications. Spacecraft: AS 3000. Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin. Agency: Korea Te. Perigee: 35,776 km (22,230 mi). Apogee: 35,796 km (22,242 mi). Inclination: 2.70 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. COSPAR: 1995-041A. USAF Sat Cat: 23639. 15 Ku-band transponders; boosted into geosynch orbit by satellite thrusters following Delta failure that left satellite in LEO; unplanned use of satellite propellant cut usable satellite lifetime by approx. 50 percent. Stationed at 116.0 deg E. Stage 1 SRM failure Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 116 deg E in 1995-1999 As of 5 September 2001 located at 47.22 deg E drifting at 0.022 deg E per day. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 152.88E drifting at 2.155W degrees per day. References: 2, 6. Level: 1.

• Koreasat 2 Program: Koreasat. Mass: 600 kg (1,320 lb). Class: Communications. Spacecraft: AS 3000. Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin. Agency: Korea Te. Perigee: 35,782 km (22,233 mi). Apogee: 35,792 km (22,240 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.20 min. COSPAR: 1996-003A. USAF Sat Cat: 23768. Completed Operations Date: 2000-04-08. Geostationary at 116.0E. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 116 deg E in 1996-2000 As of 5 September 2001 located at 113.02 deg E drifting at 0.017 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 116.35E drifting at 0.013W degrees per day. References: 2, 6. Level: 1.

• X-ray astronomy / ionosphere mission Agency: KARI. Apogee: 150 km (90 mi). Measured the vertical distribution of ozone using an ultraviolet radiometer. References: 2. Level: 1.

• X-ray astronomy / ionosphere mission Agency: KARI. Apogee: 137 km (85 mi). Measured the vertical distribution of ozone using an ultraviolet radiometer. References: 2. Level: 1.

• Kitsat-3 Class: Earth. Spacecraft: Kitsat. Manufacturer: Korea Advanced Institute for Space Technology. Agency: KAIST. Perigee: 716 km (444 mi). Apogee: 738 km (458 mi). Inclination: 98.40 deg. COSPAR: 1999-029A. USAF Sat Cat: 25756. References: 2. Level: 1.

• Koreasat 3 Payload: Mugunghwa 3. Class: Communications. Spacecraft: AS 2100. Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin, Sunnyvale. Agency: Korea Te. Perigee: 35,786 km (22,236 mi). Apogee: 35,789 km (22,238 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. COSPAR: 1999-046A. USAF Sat Cat: 25894. Geosynchronous communications satellite. Stationed at 112 deg E. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 112 deg E in 1999. As of 31 August 2001 located at 115.99 deg E drifting at 0.014 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 116.12E drifting at 0.008W degrees per day. References: 2. Level: 1.

• Kompsat Payload: Arirang. Mass: 470 kg (1,030 lb). Class: Earth. Type: Oceansat. Spacecraft: KOMPSAT. Manufacturer: Korea Advanced Institute for Space Technology. Agency: KARI. Perigee: 690 km (420 mi). Apogee: 722 km (448 mi). Inclination: 98.30 deg. COSPAR: 1999-070A. USAF Sat Cat: 26032. Korean Multipurpose Satellite; carried an ocean color sensor developed by TRW and particle detectors. KOMPSAT was built by the Korean Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) based on a test model built by TRW; it used the TRW STEP Lightsat bus and had a mass of around 500 kg, with 73 kg of hydrazine fuel. References: 2, 552, 554. Level: 1.

• KSR-III Launch Vehicle Technology Test / Aeronomy mission Agency: KARI. Apogee: 43 km (26 mi). The rocket reached 42 km altitude and a speed of 902 meters per second. It impacted in the West Sea 85 km from the coastal launch site, 231 seconds after launch. In preparation for the launch, KARI and related agencies successfully carried out ignition tests in May and August. References: 2. Level: 1.

• STSat 1 (KaistSat 4, Uribyol 4) Mass: 100 kg (220 lb). Class: Technology. Spacecraft: STSat. Agency: KAIST. Perigee: 676 km (420 mi). Apogee: 696 km (432 mi). Inclination: 98.20 deg. Period: 98.50 min. COSPAR: 2003-042A. USAF Sat Cat: 27939. Launch delayed from July 28, September 26. Payloads included the FUV Imaging Spectrograph (FIMS); Solid State Telescope (SST); Data Collection System (DCS); and Narrow Angle Star Sensor (NAST). References: 2. Level: 1.

• Kompsat 2 Payload: Arirang-2. Mass: 798 kg (1,759 lb). Class: Communications. Spacecraft: KOMPSAT-2. Manufacturer: EADS Astrium. Agency: KARI. Perigee: 676 km (420 mi). Apogee: 701 km (435 mi). Inclination: 98.10 deg. Period: 98.50 min. COSPAR: 2006-031A. USAF Sat Cat: 29268. Carried a 1-meter-resolution Earth surveillance camera.. References: 2. Level: 1.

• Koreasat 5 Payload: Mugunghwa 5, Spacebus 4000C1. Mass: 4,465 kg (9,843 lb). Class: Communications. Spacecraft: Spacebus 4000. Manufacturer: Alcatel Alenia Space. Agency: KT. Perigee: 35,780 km (22,230 mi). Apogee: 35,795 km (22,241 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.20 min. COSPAR: 2006-034A. USAF Sat Cat: 29349. The satellite will was to provide Ku-band service for Korea Telecom and Ka-band and SHF band transponders for the South Korean Agency for Defense Development. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 113.05E drifting at 0.012W degrees per day. References: 2. Level: 1.