ID :
76956
Wed, 08/26/2009 - 08:46
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/76956
The shortlink copeid
S. Korea to make contact with satellite early Wednesday
DAEJEON, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korea plans to establish initial contact with its scientific satellite 11 to 13 hours after it has been successfully placed in orbit by the country's first space rocket, a state-run laboratory said Tuesday.
The Satellite Technology Research Center (SARTEC) in Daejeon, 160km south of
Seoul, said preliminary reports indicated that the Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1
(KSLV-1) placed the satellite into the Earth's orbit after it lifted off at 5
p.m. from the Naro Space Center on the southern coast.
Communication with the 100kg satellite can take place four times during the day,
it said, with the first to take place for 16 minutes from 4:27 a.m. on Wednesday.
The center, however, said that because the satellite will be 2,300-4,300km from
the ground station at this time, actual contact would likely be made in the 19
minute window starting from 6:09 a.m. when the distance will be reduced to
1,300km.
The satellite's main mission calls for the use of microwave radiometers to check
energy levels in the atmosphere, and Earth's natural radiation, while at the same
time utilizing a ranging laser to measure the precise distance between itself and
ground stations on earth.
The center, part of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, which
built the Science and Technology Satellite-2 along with the Korea Aerospace
Research Institute (KARI) and the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology,
claimed that even if contact is not made it can be established in the following
days if the satellite deployed its solar panels and has begun generating
electricity.
If the satellite cannot be found after such efforts, ground controllers will try
to detect the radio beacon it emits to try to pinpoint its exact orbit. This
could include contacting the U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command to
find the exact trajectory of the satellite.
"Only when actual contact is made can South Korea say that it has placed a
satellite in orbit from a rocket from its soil," said SARTEC director Myung
Noh-hoon.
The expert said that if contact is made, South Korea will become the 10th country
in the world to make its own satellite and launch this into orbit on a
locally-assembled rocket.
KARI, which is in charge of the launch mission, said there is a possibility
contact will not be able to be made with the satellite if it is in a different
orbit than anticipated. Such developments can take place if the satellite does
not separate from the KSLV-1 at the right altitude and trajectory.
The satellite should separate from the second stage rocket 540 seconds after
liftoff at an altitude of 302km and 2,054km from the Naro center.
The KSLV-1, also called Naro-1, cost 502.5 billion won (US$402.8 million) to
make, stands 33m tall and has a diameter of 2.9m. The first stage rocket,
generating 170t of thrust, was made by Russia, with the smaller 8t second stage
rocket made domestically. The STSAT-2 satellite cost 13.6 billion won and was
built by local engineers.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
The Satellite Technology Research Center (SARTEC) in Daejeon, 160km south of
Seoul, said preliminary reports indicated that the Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1
(KSLV-1) placed the satellite into the Earth's orbit after it lifted off at 5
p.m. from the Naro Space Center on the southern coast.
Communication with the 100kg satellite can take place four times during the day,
it said, with the first to take place for 16 minutes from 4:27 a.m. on Wednesday.
The center, however, said that because the satellite will be 2,300-4,300km from
the ground station at this time, actual contact would likely be made in the 19
minute window starting from 6:09 a.m. when the distance will be reduced to
1,300km.
The satellite's main mission calls for the use of microwave radiometers to check
energy levels in the atmosphere, and Earth's natural radiation, while at the same
time utilizing a ranging laser to measure the precise distance between itself and
ground stations on earth.
The center, part of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, which
built the Science and Technology Satellite-2 along with the Korea Aerospace
Research Institute (KARI) and the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology,
claimed that even if contact is not made it can be established in the following
days if the satellite deployed its solar panels and has begun generating
electricity.
If the satellite cannot be found after such efforts, ground controllers will try
to detect the radio beacon it emits to try to pinpoint its exact orbit. This
could include contacting the U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command to
find the exact trajectory of the satellite.
"Only when actual contact is made can South Korea say that it has placed a
satellite in orbit from a rocket from its soil," said SARTEC director Myung
Noh-hoon.
The expert said that if contact is made, South Korea will become the 10th country
in the world to make its own satellite and launch this into orbit on a
locally-assembled rocket.
KARI, which is in charge of the launch mission, said there is a possibility
contact will not be able to be made with the satellite if it is in a different
orbit than anticipated. Such developments can take place if the satellite does
not separate from the KSLV-1 at the right altitude and trajectory.
The satellite should separate from the second stage rocket 540 seconds after
liftoff at an altitude of 302km and 2,054km from the Naro center.
The KSLV-1, also called Naro-1, cost 502.5 billion won (US$402.8 million) to
make, stands 33m tall and has a diameter of 2.9m. The first stage rocket,
generating 170t of thrust, was made by Russia, with the smaller 8t second stage
rocket made domestically. The STSAT-2 satellite cost 13.6 billion won and was
built by local engineers.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
