Arirang-2
KOMPSAT-2
South Korean multipurpose Earth observation satellite
KOMPSAT-2 (Korean Multi-purpose Satellite-2), also known as Arirang-2,[2] is a South Korean multipurpose Earth observation satellite. It was launched from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia at 07:45:43 UTC (16:05:43 KST) on 28 July 2006. It began to transmit signals at 14:00 UTC (23:00 KST) the same day. Like the earlier KOMPSAT-1 satellite, it takes its name from the popular Korean folk song Arirang. Its launch was the culmination of a project begun in 1995.[3]
KOMPSAT-2 orbits at a height of 685 km (426 mi), circling the Earth 14 times per day, and is expected to maintain that orbit for 3 years. It weighs 800 kg (1,800 lb).[4] The satellite carries a Multispectral Camera (MSC) which can distinguish to a 100-cm resolution, allowing the identification of individual vehicles on the ground.[5] The satellite was succeeded by KOMPSAT-3, KOMPSAT-5 and KOMPSAT-3A, which were launched in 2012, 2013 and 2015 respectively.