South Korea's multipurpose practical satellite, Arirang-7, launched early on the 2nd from South America. Korea Aerospace Administration 

The high-resolution satellite 'Arirang-7', launched from South America, has successfully established its first communication with Earth.

The Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA) and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) announced that Arirang-7, South Korea's multipurpose practical satellite launched early on the 2nd from South America, separated from its launch vehicle, the Arianespace Vega-C rocket, and successfully completed initial communication with ground stations.

Launched at 2:21 AM KST (2:21 PM, November 1st, local time) from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana, South America, Arirang-7 separated from the Vega-C 44 minutes after launch and successfully established initial communication with the ground station at Troll Base in Antarctica at 3:30 AM, approximately one hour after launch.

Through the initial communication, KASA confirmed Arirang-7's status, including the deployment of its solar panels, and confirmed its successful arrival in the target orbit through the launch vehicle provider.

Researchers at the Satellite Operations Control Center at KARI in Daejeon, who had anxiously watched the launch of Arirang-7, erupted in cheers upon hearing the news of the successful communication.

Arirang-7, a multipurpose practical satellite, is scheduled to provide full-scale ground observation imagery starting in the first half of 2026, following its in-orbit testing and initial operation phases.

Lee Sang-gon, Project Director for the Arirang-7 Multipurpose Practical Satellite at KARI, stated, "Arirang-7 has further advanced South Korea's independently built precision Earth observation capabilities. This will enable swift and accurate responses in providing domestic observation imagery for disaster and calamity monitoring, land management, and more."

Yoon Young-bin, Administrator of KASA, announced, "With the successful launch of Arirang-7, South Korea has acquired world-class development capabilities in the field of Earth observation satellites. We will actively support the dissemination of our mature satellite development capabilities to the private sector, serving as a driving force for South Korea's space economy."

Arirang-7 is expected to provide high-quality imagery capable of analyzing disasters, calamities, land, environment, public safety, and urban heat island effects through its high-resolution optical camera, which can distinguish objects as small as 0.3 meters.