KOMPSAT-2

KOMPSAT-2, also known as Arirang-2, is a South Korean Earth observation satellite developed by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI). Launched on July 28, 2006, from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia, its primary mission is to provide high-resolution imagery for a variety of applications, including geographic information systems (GIS), environmental monitoring, disaster management, and resource exploration.

KOMPSAT-2 is equipped with a high-resolution Multi-Spectral Camera (MSC) capable of capturing panchromatic images with a resolution of 1 meter and multispectral images with a resolution of 4 meters. The satellite operates in a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of approximately 685 kilometers. It has a revisit time of about 4 days, allowing for frequent monitoring of specific areas on the Earth's surface.

The imagery acquired by KOMPSAT-2 is distributed through KARI and its international partners. It plays a significant role in supporting various national and international initiatives related to land management, urban planning, agriculture, and climate change research. The data is also used for security and defense purposes. While its successor satellites, such as KOMPSAT-3 and KOMPSAT-5, offer improved capabilities, KOMPSAT-2 remains an important asset for Earth observation.