Arirang 7, South Korea's multipurpose satellite, has successfully entered orbit after lifting off from a space center in South America, Yonhap reported.
Also known as the Korea Multipurpose Satellite 7, the satellite was deployed from the Vega-C rocket 44 minutes after launching from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana at 2:21 p.m. Monday (French Guiana time), or 2:21 a.m. Tuesday (Korean time), according to the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA). The rocket is operated by France-based Arianespace.
The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), the developer of Arirang 7, confirmed the satellite's condition when it made contact with Russia's Antarctic ground station at 3:30 a.m. (Korean time).
KARI also verified its successful orbital insertion through data from Arianespace.
Arirang 7, equipped with an ultra-high-resolution electro-optical camera and an infrared sensor, is expected to provide high-quality imagery for environmental and disaster monitoring, and urban heat island analysis.