SUCCESSIVE LAUNCH OF CHEOLLIAN SATELLITE 2B

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South Korea's Cheollian Satellite 2B, the world's first geostationary satellite designed to monitor the atmospheric environment, has been successfully launched. The satellite has entered the orbit as planned and even contacted its ground control station for the first time.

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Cheollian Satellite 2B was successfully launched from the Guiana Space Center in South America at 7:18 a.m. Wednesday Korea time. The Ministry of Science and ICT said the satellite has already contacted its ground control station in Australia. Cheollian 2B is a geostationary meteorological satellite that will carry on the duties of its predecessor, Cheollian 1. The new satellite will monitor fine dust and air pollutants in a geostationary orbit in the skies 36,000 km above the Korean Peninsula. The final countdown for the launch began 11 hours and 23 minutes in advance. According to the Science Ministry, about 25 minutes after the launch, the launch vehicle reached the orbit. Some 31 minutes after the launch, Cheollian 2B was successfully separated from the launch vehicle. At 7:55 a.m., 37 minutes after the launch, the satellite came into contact with its ground control station in Australia. Cheollian 2B is the world's first satellite to monitor the environment in real time from a geostationary orbit. Come October, the satellite will transmit information on the marine environment such as red and green algae to the Korean Peninsula. Starting next year, Cheollian 2B will send data on air pollution including fine dust.