(C) The Diplomat

South Korea has successfully launched and established communication with its first mass-produced Micro-Satellite Cluster Verifier. This milestone, achieved after two previous delays, is expected to accelerate the development of the domestic space industry, particularly in the realm of Space Data Centers.

Successful Liftoff in New Zealand
According to the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), the verifier satellite was launched at 10:21 AM on January 30 (local time 2:21 PM) from the Mahia Launch Complex in New Zealand. It was carried by the "Electron" launch vehicle, operated by the American space company Rocket Lab.

The journey to orbit wasn't without hurdles:

Previous Attempts: Two launches were aborted last December due to communication and engine ignition issues with the launch vehicle.
Launch Day Delay: On the day of the final launch, the liftoff was pushed back by 26 minutes (from 9:55 AM to 10:21 AM) to re-verify data during the preparation process.

Successful Communication and Mission Plan
At approximately 1:12 PM, KASA confirmed that the satellite successfully established initial communication with the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) ground station.

Status: The satellite is in good condition, with its solar panels deployed normally.
Next Steps: The verifier will undergo six months of trial operations.
Main Mission: Starting in July, it will begin precision Earth observation, monitoring the Korean Peninsula and surrounding waters to provide rapid responses to national security issues and natural disasters.

Laying the Groundwork for "Space Data Centers"
The success of this micro-satellite cluster is seen as a vital step toward building Space Data Centers. These centers rely on clusters of satellites to process data in orbit, making Inter-Satellite Link (ISL) technology a critical requirement.

"While South Korea is still in the early stages of the Space Data Center sector, we are steadily securing the foundational technologies required," noted a domestic space expert.
The government plans to deploy a total of 11 satellites in this cluster to ensure high-frequency, high-precision monitoring.