- Launching into a Low Earth Orbit at an Altitude of 497.8 km from Vandenberg Space Force Base, USA
The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA, Administrator Taeseog Oh) and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT, Minister Yun-duk Kim) announced that the CAS500-2 (Compact Advanced Satellite 500-2, also known as the Land Satellite 2) is scheduled to launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, the United States, on Sunday, May 3, at 15:59 (KST).
The CAS500-2 has successfully completed all pre-launch preparations, including functional inspections and propellant loading over the past 30 days at the base. It is currently integrated into SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launch vehicle and is in standby mode.
The satellite is expected to separate from the launch vehicle approximately 60 minutes after lift-off. It will attempt its first contact with the Svalbard Ground Station in Norway about 75 minutes post-launch. This communication will confirm whether the satellite has successfully reached its target orbit.
Following the launch, the CAS500-2 will undergo a four-month initial operational phase at an altitude of approximately 498 km. It is scheduled to begin its full-scale in the second half of 2026.