KT, South Korea’s largest fixedline and broadband operator, said today that it will send its fourth commercial satellite into orbit from the Pacific Ocean this week, marking the nation’s first satellite launch from the open sea. Koreasat-5 will be launched at 12:27 p.m. Tuesday from an area south of Hawaii. The launch will be controlled by an assembly and command ship and a launch platform ship, KT said.
The satellite will replace the Koreasat-2 satellite in providing wireless communications and broadcasting services, the company said. Unlike previous KT satellites that helped telecommunications in local areas, Koreasat- 5 will cover other Asian countries, including Japan, China, the Philippines and Taiwan. The satellite will start its service after four months of testing, it added.
(Source: Yonhap/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)