South Korea set to launch 4th medium-sized Earth observation satellite

South Korea is set to launch its fourth medium-sized Earth observation satellite aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Tuesday, local media reported.

The 500-kilogram satellite has completed function inspections and fuel injection over the past month and is now awaiting launch aboard the Falcon 9, Seoul-based Yonhap News reported Sunday, citing the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA).

The satellite is scheduled to separate from the launch vehicle about 2 hours and 22 minutes after liftoff and make its first contact with the ground approximately 31 minutes later through the Svalbard ground station in Norway.

It carries homegrown payloads, including an observation camera capable of imaging the entire Korean Peninsula every three days.

The satellite is expected to be used for a wide range of applications, including agriculture and forest management, forest change monitoring, disaster response, climate change analysis, and public safety enhancement, according to the report.