CAS500 is a series of 500 kg class Earth observation satellites developed by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI). The series includes satellites for Earth observation and scientific research.
CAS500 (Compact Advanced Satellite 500)
CAS500 is a series of 500 kg class Earth observation satellites developed by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI). The series includes satellites for Earth observation and scientific research.
Description
The CAS500 (Compact Advanced Satellite 500) is a series of 500-kilogram class Earth observation satellites developed by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI). The series is designed for various applications, primarily Earth observation, but also includes scientific research missions. The first satellite, CAS500-1, a prototype Earth observation satellite, was launched on March 22, 2021, into a 500-kilometre Sun-synchronous orbit. CAS500-2 was initially planned for a Russian rocket launch but was rescheduled to launch with CAS500-4 on a SpaceX Falcon 9. CAS500-3, launched on the South Korean Nuri vehicle, is not an Earth-observation satellite but carries three science instruments: a wide-field camera for observing auroras, a plasma and magnetic field monitoring instrument, and a medical 3D bioprinter. CAS500-4, equipped with a wide-area Earth-observation camera, was launched on the Transporter-17 flight of Falcon 9. As of the provided information, 5 units have been built and 4 have been launched.
Specifications
| Country of origin | South Korea |
|---|---|
| Operator | KARI |
| Applications | Earth observation |
| Bus | CAS500 |
| Launch mass | 500 kg (1,100 lb) |
| Regime | SSO |
| Status | In Production |
| Built | 5 |
| Launched | 4 |
| Maiden launch | 22 March 2021 |
