Seoul

A South Korean nano satellite successfully communicated with its ground station after being launched into space as part of the nation’s project to create a satellite constellation by 2027, officials said on Wednesday.

According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Earth observation satellite lifted off aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from a spaceport at 7.32 a.m. in Mahia, New Zealand, source reported.

The satellite, named NEONSAT-1, was deployed into space at an altitude of 520 kilometers, about 50 minutes after the rocket’s launch.

NEONSAT stands for the New-space Earth Observation SATellite constellation for national safety.

The science ministry confirmed that the launch was successful as the satellite entered orbit and made two-way communications with Korea’s King Sejong Station in Antarctica at around 2.13 p.m. and 3.44 p.m., the report said.

NEONSAT-1 is planned to begin its official earth observation mission in December following a performance review, it added.

Developed by the state-run Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) for mass production, NEONSAT-1 weighs less than 100 kg and has a resolution of one metre. The satellite was the first among 11 nano satellites to form a satellite constellation to monitor and take images of the Korean Peninsula and its surrounding regions.

South Korea plans to launch five more nano satellites into space in June 2026 and five more in September 2027.