- CAS500-3 Functioning Normally
- Initial Communication Successful with 5 out of 12 Cube Satellites; 7 More Expected to Establish Contact
The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), led by Administrator Yoon Youngbin, announced that the Compact Advanced Satellite 500-3 (CAS500-3), launched aboard the Korean Space Launch Vehicle (KSLV-II, Nuri) at 01:13 on November 27, successfully reached its target orbit. It then successfully established two-way communication with the King Sejong Station in Antarctica around 01:55 KST today.
Following the first contact, CAS500-3 successfully established additional communication via the KARI ground station antenna in Daejeon around 02:48 KST. To date, the satellite has conducted two two-way communications with the KARI ground station and twelve two-way communications with overseas ground stations (King Sejong Station in Antarctica, and Svalbard in Norway).
Today's communication confirmed the functionality of CAS500-3's main body components. Detailed status data will be downloaded via upcoming communications with the Daejeon ground station, enabling comprehensive inspections.
Furthermore, after approximately two months of initial operations for payload check-outs and mission preparation, the satellite is scheduled to begin its full-fledged space science mission activities for one year, orbiting Earth about 15 times a day in a Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO).
CAS500-3 is equipped with a BioCabinet (for verifying stem cell 3D differentiation and culture using bio-3D printing), the Ionospheric Anomaly Monitoring by Magnetometer And Plasma-Probe (IAMMAP), and the ROKITS (Republic Of Korea Imaging Test System) wide-field auroral/airglow imager. These payloads will carry out space science and technology demonstration missions.
Meanwhile, the 12 Cube Satellites (secondary payloads) have also commenced initial ground station communication and performance checks by their respective developers.
Five of the 12 Cube Satellites* have successfully completed communication with their ground stations. Some of the remaining seven satellites** are scheduled to attempt their first contact, and those that have not yet communicated will continue additional attempts according to the planned schedule.
*Successful Contact (5 Satellites): ETRISat (ETRI), JACK-003, 004 (Cosmoworks), INHA-RoSAT (Inha University), K-HERO (KAIST)
*Contact Expected (7 Satellites): SPIRONE (Sejong University), EEE Tester-1 (KARI), PERSAT (Quaternion), SNUGLITE-III (Seoul National University), BEE-1000 (Space LiinTech), COSMIC (UZURO Tech), Sejong-4 (HANCOM InSpace)
As each developer communicates with its respective ground station, the timing of successful communication varies for the Cube Satellites, and thus, the point of initial success judgment also differs.
KASA plans to provide a comprehensive press release on the status of the Cube Satellites on December 2nd, five days after the launch.
KASA Administrator Yoon Youngbin stated, "The successful fourth launch of Nuri is expected to provide performance verification opportunities for 13 satellites, thereby contributing to strengthening the satellite industry's capacity. We will spare no effort in successfully preparing for the 5th and 6th launches, to seamlessly provide performance verification opportunities for future payloads."