Russian Dnepr rocket launches with Arirang-5

Arirang-5, or KOMPSat-5, is the fourth satellite in South Korea’s Arirang program. Arirang is also known as the Korea Multi-Purpose Satellite, or KOMPSAT, program.

Arirang-1, which was launched in December 1999 aboard an American Taurus rocket, carried optical and multispectral imaging payloads. The satellite operated until January 2008, when contact with the spacecraft was lost.

A second Arirang spacecraft equipped with a multispectral imaging payload, Arirang-2, was orbited by a Rokot/Briz-KM in July 2006. Arirang-3, with an optical imaging payload, was orbited by a Japanese H-IIA rocket last May, as a secondary payload to the Shizuku, or GCOM-W, satellite.

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