- 9 of 12 Secondary Payloads Successfully Communicated, 3 in Progress
The Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA, Administrator Yoon Youngbin) and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI, President Lee Sangchul) announced the communication results for the 12 secondary payload satellites launched aboard the Korean Space Launch Vehicle (KSLV-II), Nuri, at 1:13 a.m. on November 27.
Out of the 12 secondary payloads, 9 successfully established communication, confirming the status of the satellites. On November 27, five satellites successfully communicated for the first time:
· INHA-RoSAT, developed by Inha University, communicated around 2:00 a.m. and is currently confirming the satellite's functions.
· JACK-003 and JACK-004, developed by Cosmoworks, communicated and established two-way communication around 2:00 a.m., and are currently confirming the satellite's functions.
· ETRISat, developed by Korea Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) communicated and established two-way communication around 2:40 a.m., confirming the satellite's status through the deployment of the solar antenna and other functions.
· K-HERO, developed by KAIST communicated around 4:00 a.m. and is currently confirming additional functions.
On November 28, three satellites successfully established communication for the first time:
· SPIRONE, developed by Sejong University, communicated around 1:30 a.m. and is currently confirming additional functions.
· COSMIC, developed by UZURO tech, communicated around 1:30 a.m. and is currently performing function checks.
· Sejong 4, developed by Hancom Inspace, communicated and established two-way communication around 11:40 p.m. and is currently checking the satellite's status.
On November 29, one satellite successfully established communication for the first time:
· SNUGLITE-Ⅲ, developed by Seoul National University, communicated and established two-way communication around 1:00 p.m. and is currently performing function checks.
Currently, three satellites have not yet established communication: EEE Tester-1, developed by KARI, PERSAT developed by Quaternion, and BEE-1000, developed by Space LiinTech. These satellites will continue to attempt communication using precise orbital data from the U.S. Combined Space Operations Center (CSpOC*).
* The U.S. Combined Space Operations Center (CSpOC) utilizes radar, optical telescopes, and satellites in orbit, leveraging the infrastructure of the U.S. Space Force’s Space Surveillance Network (SSN) to detect space objects larger than 10 cm outside Earth's atmosphere and provide orbital information about these objects.
The secondary payload satellites will undergo an initial operational phase, where they will verify their survival status and basic integrity through initial communications. Following continuous communications to confirm that all systems are functioning properly, they will begin their full-scale missions.
Park Jaesung, Director General of Space Transportation Directorate at KASA, stated, "Cube satellites are at the forefront of rapidly advancing space technology, evolving through cycles of both failure and success," and added, "We will continue to make every effort to provide diverse and stable transportation opportunities, ensuring that creative ideas from the private sector can reach space."