(Photo: Yonhap News)
South Korea is set to launch its next-generation midsized observation satellite into space.
The 540-kilogram satellite, loaded on Russia's Soyuz 2.1a, will take off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Saturday morning, local time.
According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, it will contact the Svalbard Satellite Station in Norway after reaching its target orbit.
The satellite is equipped with an imaging sensor system developed by South Korean researchers and it will conduct its four-year mission at nearly 498 kilometers above the earth's surface.
Officials said it will provide precise observation videos of Earth starting in October, after a six-month trial run.
The planned launch comes as South Korea, a relative latecomer to the global space development race, seeks to boost homegrown space technology and related sectors.
The government has invested a total of 158 billion won in the satellite project since 2015, with development led by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute.
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