KITSAT-1
| Company type | Satellite |
|---|---|
| Industry | Space technology |
| Founded | August 10, 1992 |
| Headquarters | South Korea |
| Products | Small satellite, Microsatellite |
KITSAT-1, also referred to as KITSAT-A (Korean Institute of Technology Satellite), represents South Korea's inaugural satellite. Commonly known by the moniker "Our Star" (우리별), it operated within a low Earth orbit (LEO) at an altitude of approximately 1320 km. Among the dozen satellites South Korea had launched by 2020, KITSAT-1 achieved the highest orbital altitude. The satellite utilized gravity gradient stabilization to maintain its orientation, supplemented by magnetic torque for attitude adjustments. Initially intended for a mission duration of five years, KITSAT-1 functioned successfully for 12 years. By 2020, South Korea had launched an additional 36 satellites following this pioneering effort.
Description
KITSAT-1 falls under the category of a smallsat or microsatellite, and it holds the distinction of being South Korea’s smallest satellite deployed in low Earth orbit.
Instruments
The satellite’s onboard computing system incorporated an OBC186 processor as its primary unit, with an OBC80 serving as a redundant backup.
It carried four principal payloads: the Digital Store and Forward Communication Experiment (DSFCE), the CCD Earth Imaging System (CEIS), the Digital Signal Processing Experiment (DSPE), and the Cosmic Ray Experiment (CRE).
The CEIS was equipped with two cameras: one wide-angle camera offering a resolution of 4 km per pixel and a high-resolution camera capable of 400 m per pixel. Both cameras were mounted on the underside of the satellite to ensure continuous Earth observation.
The CRE was developed to study space radiation within its 1320 km low Earth orbit, detecting high-energy protons, galactic cosmic rays, and solar cosmic rays. It consisted of two components: the Cosmic Particle Experiment (CPE), which recorded Linear Energy Transfer spectra over short timeframes, and the Total Dose Experiment (TDE), which measured cumulative ionizing radiation exposure over extended periods.
Launch
KITSAT-1 was launched in 1992 as South Korea’s first satellite created by SaTReC in partnership with the University of Surrey, UK. This initiative focused on cultivating expertise in satellite technology by educating engineers in this field.
The satellite was inserted into a 1320 km orbit at an inclination angle of 66°, situated within the inner region of the Van Allen radiation belt.
Its successful deployment signified South Korea’s emergence in space technology development.
The launch took place on 10 August 1992 from the Guiana Space Centre aboard an Ariane 42P H-10 rocket, alongside NASA’s TOPEX/Poseidon and France’s S80/T satellites. Weighing 48.6 kg and measuring 35.2 cm by 35.6 cm by 67 cm, KITSAT-1 utilized hardware derived from the University of Surrey’s UoSAT-5 satellite console.
This achievement positioned South Korea as the 22nd country to operate its own satellite.