South Korea and Earth Observation Systems
In August, 1992, South Korea's first satellite was launched as a piggyback payload on the Topex/Poseidon mission. The 50-kg microsat is known variously as Kitsat 1, Oscar 23, and Uribyol 1 (Our Star). Along with a communications payload, Kitsat 1 carried two CCD cameras for Earth photography in a 1,300 km by 1,400 km orbit inclined 66 degrees to the equator. The principal national organizations participating in the program are the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science. The satellite was created with the help of the University of Surrey, England, which specializes in microsatellite technology. Kisat 2 was launched in a similar manner to its predecessor on 26 September 1993 and was inserted into an orbit of 795 km by 805 km at an inclination of 98.7 degrees. Again, the small satellite carried two CCD imaging systems, one of which was of Korean design (References 726-729).
South Korea's next venture into Earth observation satellite systems will come with the 1998-1999 launch of the Korea Multipurpose Satellite (KOMSAT). The 400-kg satellite, which will be built by TRW, will tentatively carry a 10m resolution CCD imaging system for Earth surveys at an altitude of 685 km (Reference 730).
