A day after&nbsp;South Korea cancelled the planned launch of its&nbsp;domestically produced space rocket, it announced the&nbsp;successful delivery of&nbsp;a commercial-grade satellite into orbit on Thursday, (May 25).&nbsp;This comes as the country has been moving to mark a significant step in its space programme after its neighbouring North Korea&nbsp;last month said it would launch its first military spy satellite into orbit.&nbsp; 
 
Successful&nbsp;launch 
 
South Korea’s homegrown Nuri rocket took off from&nbsp;the Naro Space Centre in Goheung, a launch facility in the southern part of the country, at 6:24 pm (local time)&nbsp;in its third flight after the launch. 
 
Speaking about the launch,&nbsp;Science Minister Lee Jong-ho, said that among the&nbsp;eight satellites&nbsp;aboard the rocket was the&nbsp;main commercial-grade satellite which made contact with a base station in Antarctica after successfully separating from the space vehicle.&nbsp; 
 
"This will greatly change the way the world sees South Korea's space science technology and its advanced industry," said South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. He also went on to tout the launch which places Seoul among the top seven countries in the world that&nbsp;have put their homegrown&nbsp;satellites into orbit with their domestically built space launch vehicles. 
 
Why was the launch delayed?

The announcement was made just two hours before the planned launch was supposed to take place on Wednesday, citing technical glitches, most likely due to&nbsp;communication errors between systems which control a helium relief valve, said the officials, adding that there seems to be no issue with the vehicle itself.&nbsp;

Country’s Deputy Science Minister, Oh Tae-seok, had said during a press conference&nbsp;that the launch could be back on track as soon as Thursday if the glitch is fixed.&nbsp; 
 
About the launch vehicle,&nbsp;satellites

The vehicle carrying eight satellites was stopped after an anomaly was noticed between the launch control computer and the launch pad control computer during the launch preparation process. The launch would mark the third test for the country’s commercial-grade satellite.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;third planned launch of Nuri follows&nbsp;a failed first attempt and a successful second mission last year. “It’s currently believed there is no problem with the projectile itself, so it will remain erected,” said Oh, adding that scientists and software engineers are working to resolve the issue.&nbsp;

The three-stage rocket, which is more than 150 feet long and weighs at least 200 tonnes, was supposed to take off at 6:24 pm (local time) after it was transferred and erected at the launch pad on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Ko Jeong-hwan, director of the Nuri rocket project at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), told the press that the launch aims to put the domestically developed 180-kilogram NEXTSat 2 satellite into “target orbit,” which is at an altitude of 550 kilometres.&nbsp;

The satellite has the ability to capture high-resolution images regardless of weather conditions, and while South Korea currently has no military reconnaissance satellites of its own and largely depends on the United States for monitoring facilities in North Korea, Seoul aspires to launch its surveillance satellites soon.&nbsp; 
 
Last month, North Korea said that it would launch its first military spy satellite into orbit which has supposedly increased pressure on South Korea, as the tensions in the region remain high.&nbsp;Pyongyang tested over 100 missiles since the beginning of last year some of which were also said to be nuclear-capable.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

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A day after South Korea cancelled the planned launch of its domestically produced space rocket, it announced the successful delivery of a commercial-grade satellite into orbit on Thursday, (May 25).

A day after South Korea cancelled the planned launch of its domestically produced space rocket, it announced the successful delivery of a commercial-grade satellite into orbit on Thursday, (May 25). This comes as the country has been moving to mark a significant step in its space programme after its neighbouring North Korea last month said it would launch its first military spy satellite into orbit. Successful launch South Korea’s homegrown Nuri rocket took off from the Naro Space Centre in Goheung, a launch facility in the southern part of the country, at 6:24 pm (local time) in its third flight after the launch. Speaking about the launch, Science Minister Lee Jong-ho, said that among the eight satellites aboard the rocket was the main commercial-grade satellite which made contact with a base station in Antarctica after successfully separating from the space vehicle. "This will greatly change the way the world sees South Korea's space science technology and its advanced industry," said South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. He also went on to tout the launch which places Seoul among the top seven countries in the world that have put their homegrown satellites into orbit with their domestically built space launch vehicles. Why was the launch delayed? The announcement was made just two hours before the planned launch was supposed to take place on Wednesday, citing technical glitches, most likely due to communication errors between systems which control a helium relief valve, said the officials, adding that there seems to be no issue with the vehicle itself. Country’s Deputy Science Minister, Oh Tae-seok, had said during a press conference that the launch could be back on track as soon as Thursday if the glitch is fixed. About the launch vehicle, satellites The vehicle carrying eight satellites was stopped after an anomaly was noticed between the launch control computer and the launch pad control computer during the launch preparation process. The launch would mark the third test for the country’s commercial-grade satellite. The third planned launch of Nuri follows a failed first attempt and a successful second mission last year. “It’s currently believed there is no problem with the projectile itself, so it will remain erected,” said Oh, adding that scientists and software engineers are working to resolve the issue. The three-stage rocket, which is more than 150 feet long and weighs at least 200 tonnes, was supposed to take off at 6:24 pm (local time) after it was transferred and erected at the launch pad on Tuesday. Ko Jeong-hwan, director of the Nuri rocket project at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), told the press that the launch aims to put the domestically developed 180-kilogram NEXTSat 2 satellite into “target orbit,” which is at an altitude of 550 kilometres. The satellite has the ability to capture high-resolution images regardless of weather conditions, and while South Korea currently has no military reconnaissance satellites of its own and largely depends on the United States for monitoring facilities in North Korea, Seoul aspires to launch its surveillance satellites soon. Last month, North Korea said that it would launch its first military spy satellite into orbit which has supposedly increased pressure on South Korea, as the tensions in the region remain high. Pyongyang tested over 100 missiles since the beginning of last year some of which were also said to be nuclear-capable. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

South Korea successfully launches homegrown rocket after delay due to technical glitch

From a huge Russian military convoy snaking its way to Kyiv to missile strikes and refugee&nbsp;crossings,&nbsp;commercial&nbsp;satellite&nbsp;imagery of the&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;conflict&nbsp;is helping lift the fog of war, illuminating for the public what was previously the domain of spy agencies.

Technologies that can pierce cloud cover and work at night are also coming to the fore, as a growing army of open-source intelligence analysts offer near real-time assessments of battleground developments.

"Governments are no longer the only place to go for high precision&nbsp;satellite&nbsp;data," Craig Nazareth, a former US intelligence officer turned scholar at the University of Arizona, told AFP.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukrainian-sniper-killed-russias-top-general-say-reports-458776">Ukrainian sniper killed Russia's top general, say reports</a>

Thanks to the explosive growth of the private&nbsp;satellite&nbsp;industry, the volume of imagery is greater and turnaround time faster compared to prior conflicts, such as Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea.

While most Western governments have their own sophisticated&nbsp;satellite&nbsp;assets, their classified nature means the images can't be shared.

And with public trust in the US and British governments shaken after the 2003 Iraq war, third-party imagery has helped plug credibility gaps.

"They're saying 'Look, it's not us, this is actually happening, we're not making this up," Nazareth said.

Beyond helping shape narratives, the images are directly aiding Ukrainian forces in their war efforts.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-crisis-day-9-zelensky-accuses-russia-of-nuclear-terror-trying-to-repeat-the-chernobyl-disaster-458768">Ukraine crisis day 9: Zelensky accuses Russia of "nuclear terror", trying to "repeat" the Chernobyl disaster</a>

"Capella Space is working directly with the US and Ukrainian governments as well as other&nbsp;commercial&nbsp;entities to provide timely data and assistance around the ongoing&nbsp;conflict," Payam Banazadeh, the company's CEO confirmed in a statement to AFP.

Radar imagery

It was images taken by the San Francisco startup that led a group of independent researchers to realize the invasion was underway, before Vladimir Putin announced his "special military operations" in the early morning of February 24.

Hours before that speech, Jeffrey Lewis of the Middlebury Institute in California tweeted that Google Maps showed a "traffic jam" on the road from Belgorod, Russia to the Ukrainian border.

It was the precise spot Capella Space previously saw a convoy of military vehicles, and the congestion likely reflected Russian civilians getting stuck at roadblocks while military vehicles passed.

"Someone's on the move," he correctly hypothesised.

While most&nbsp;satellite&nbsp;imaging requires daylight and clear skies to capture images, Capella Space works with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) -- in which sensors shoot down energy, then record the amount that reflects back to them.

SAR "penetrates clouds and smoke, even in very large storm events or fires, so we can reliably capture clear and precise images of the Earth under almost any conditions," said Dan Getman, the company's vice president of product.

Another company whose pictures have been used heavily by news media is BlackSky, which released what it believes was among the first engagements of the war -- an attack on the Luhansk Thermal Power Station a little after 4:00 pm local time on February 23.

"We have a constellation of small&nbsp;satellites&nbsp;that can see dawn to dusk, not just at certain times of the day" the company's CEO Brian O'Toole told AFP.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/digital-weaponry-russia-using-deepfakes-to-spread-misinformation-against-ukraine-claims-report-458746">Digital weaponry: Russia using deepfakes to spread misinformation against Ukraine, claims report</a>

In traditional polar orbits, which fly north-south, a&nbsp;satellite&nbsp;could take only two snaps of a particular spot per day -- but BlackSky flies its hardware counter-clockwise to the planet's rotation, allowing them to revisit areas more often.

Clients receive the images within 90 minutes and are helped in interpreting them by AI-enabled software.

Future ethical concerns?

Perhaps the most grabbing image of the&nbsp;conflict&nbsp;so far has been a picture of the 40 miles (64 km) long Russian convoy, captured by Maxar, "the granddaddy of the industry," according to Chris Quilty, of Quilty Analytics.

He explained that, unlike traditional&nbsp;satellites&nbsp;that only point downwards, Maxar's&nbsp;satellites&nbsp;have gyroscopes that allow them to swivel and target with more precision.

The US government, through the National Reconnaissance Office, is one of Maxar's main clients, dictating "shutter time," which helps explain why the company and others are spending so much time over&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;right now.

But the selective release of what the&nbsp;satellites&nbsp;are seeing could eventually lead to ethical concerns.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Ukraine Conflict: Decoding Thursday's biggest developments

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-ukraine-conflict-decoding-thursdays-biggest-developments-458717/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Maxar and others "are inevitably capturing imagery of Ukrainian troop movements and defensive positions and that information is not being released to the public," said Quilty.

Looking ahead to future conflicts, "There is absolutely an ability to color the narrative depending upon what imagery is made available," he said.

From a huge Russian military convoy snaking its way to Kyiv to missile strikes and refugee crossings, commercial satellite imagery of the Ukraine conflict is helping lift the fog of war, illuminating for the public what was previously the domain of spy agencies.

From a huge Russian military convoy snaking its way to Kyiv to missile strikes and refugee crossings, commercial satellite imagery of the Ukraine conflict is helping lift the fog of war, illuminating for the public what was previously the domain of spy agencies. Technologies that can pierce cloud cover and work at night are also coming to the fore, as a growing army of open-source intelligence analysts offer near real-time assessments of battleground developments. "Governments are no longer the only place to go for high precision satellite data," Craig Nazareth, a former US intelligence officer turned scholar at the University of Arizona, told AFP. Also read | Ukrainian sniper killed Russia's top general, say reports Thanks to the explosive growth of the private satellite industry, the volume of imagery is greater and turnaround time faster compared to prior conflicts, such as Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea. While most Western governments have their own sophisticated satellite assets, their classified nature means the images can't be shared. And with public trust in the US and British governments shaken after the 2003 Iraq war, third-party imagery has helped plug credibility gaps. "They're saying 'Look, it's not us, this is actually happening, we're not making this up," Nazareth said. Beyond helping shape narratives, the images are directly aiding Ukrainian forces in their war efforts. Also read | Ukraine crisis day 9: Zelensky accuses Russia of "nuclear terror", trying to "repeat" the Chernobyl disaster "Capella Space is working directly with the US and Ukrainian governments as well as other commercial entities to provide timely data and assistance around the ongoing conflict," Payam Banazadeh, the company's CEO confirmed in a statement to AFP. Radar imagery It was images taken by the San Francisco startup that led a group of independent researchers to realize the invasion was underway, before Vladimir Putin announced his "special military operations" in the early morning of February 24. Hours before that speech, Jeffrey Lewis of the Middlebury Institute in California tweeted that Google Maps showed a "traffic jam" on the road from Belgorod, Russia to the Ukrainian border. It was the precise spot Capella Space previously saw a convoy of military vehicles, and the congestion likely reflected Russian civilians getting stuck at roadblocks while military vehicles passed. "Someone's on the move," he correctly hypothesised. While most satellite imaging requires daylight and clear skies to capture images, Capella Space works with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) -- in which sensors shoot down energy, then record the amount that reflects back to them. SAR "penetrates clouds and smoke, even in very large storm events or fires, so we can reliably capture clear and precise images of the Earth under almost any conditions," said Dan Getman, the company's vice president of product. Another company whose pictures have been used heavily by news media is BlackSky, which released what it believes was among the first engagements of the war -- an attack on the Luhansk Thermal Power Station a little after 4:00 pm local time on February 23. "We have a constellation of small satellites that can see dawn to dusk, not just at certain times of the day" the company's CEO Brian O'Toole told AFP. Also read | Digital weaponry: Russia using deepfakes to spread misinformation against Ukraine, claims report In traditional polar orbits, which fly north-south, a satellite could take only two snaps of a particular spot per day -- but BlackSky flies its hardware counter-clockwise to the planet's rotation, allowing them to revisit areas more often. Clients receive the images within 90 minutes and are helped in interpreting them by AI-enabled software. Future ethical concerns? Perhaps the most grabbing image of the conflict so far has been a picture of the 40 miles (64 km) long Russian convoy, captured by Maxar, "the granddaddy of the industry," according to Chris Quilty, of Quilty Analytics. He explained that, unlike traditional satellites that only point downwards, Maxar's satellites have gyroscopes that allow them to swivel and target with more precision. The US government, through the National Reconnaissance Office, is one of Maxar's main clients, dictating "shutter time," which helps explain why the company and others are spending so much time over Ukraine right now. But the selective release of what the satellites are seeing could eventually lead to ethical concerns. Watch | Gravitas: Ukraine Conflict: Decoding Thursday's biggest developments Maxar and others "are inevitably capturing imagery of Ukrainian troop movements and defensive positions and that information is not being released to the public," said Quilty. Looking ahead to future conflicts, "There is absolutely an ability to color the narrative depending upon what imagery is made available," he said.

This is how commercial satellites are shaping the Ukraine conflict

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