[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Joo Sang-don] The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced on the 11th that the first marine observation images from the Geostationary Korea Multi-Purpose Satellite 2B (Chollian Satellite 2B) have been successfully received.
The Chollian Satellite 2B was successfully launched on February 19 and reached its target geostationary orbit on March 6. Since then, inspections of the satellite body and its payload have confirmed that all systems are operating normally.
Performance tests of the marine payload were conducted twice, on March 23 and April 21-22. Despite the first marine observation images taken during these tests not undergoing precise calibration, they clearly showed the Korean Peninsula, Northeast Asia, and surrounding waters, confirming excellent performance.
In particular, when zooming in on the waters near Incheon, the tidal flat areas along the west coast were clearly captured, and the Incheon Bridge, which was difficult to identify in images from the previous Chollian Satellite 1, is now distinctly visible. Additionally, several rivers including the Geum River near Saemangeum were clearly imaged, promising more precise information on the impact of freshwater from rivers on the marine environment.
Since the Chollian Satellite 2B has four times higher spatial resolution (250m compared to 500m) than the previous Chollian Satellite 1, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries expects it to provide faster and more accurate marine information such as the status of ports and coastal facilities, water quality changes in coastal waters, and occurrences of oil spills, which were previously difficult to identify.
The Chollian Satellite 2B is equipped with four additional observation bands specialized for marine observation in ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared wavelengths. This allows for more accurate detection of the spread of marine pollutants, atmospheric aerosol characteristics, concentrations of chlorophyll and suspended matter in the ocean, as well as marine and terrestrial vegetation information.
The marine payload of the Chollian Satellite 2B is scheduled to begin normal service through the National Marine Satellite Center in October this year, following a precise calibration process for optimization. The marine payload is expected to smoothly achieve its originally targeted performance.
The environmental payload is also preparing to produce observation images using hyperspectral data according to the planned schedule. The environmental payload is the world’s first hyperspectral imager operated in geostationary orbit. Compared to the marine payload, which has prior operational experience, more time is required for testing and verification. The Ministry of Environment plans to complete the development of calibration software for hyperspectral observation data by May, then conduct production testing and verification of observation data starting in June, with the first atmospheric environment observation images expected to be released around October.
Kim Min-sung, Director of the Marine Territory Division at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, said, "Since the Chollian Satellite 2B safely reached its target geostationary orbit, it has been performing its mission normally, sending initial marine observation images that exceeded expectations. We will do our best to provide services that the public can feel by utilizing the marine and atmospheric environment observation information from the Chollian Satellite 2B."
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