A key step in South Korea’s long-term space ambitions unfolded on Friday with the successful launch of a new Earth observation nanosatellite, strengthening efforts to build a dedicated satellite constellation by 2027.
According to the Korea AeroSpace Administration, the NEONSAT-1A satellite was placed into orbit aboard the Electron rocket operated by US-based space company Rocket Lab. The launch took place from the Mahia Launch Complex in New Zealand, a news agency reported.
Rocket Lab confirmed the mission on social media, stating, “LIFTOFF! Electron is on its way to orbit with the NEONSAT-1A satellite.”
NEONSAT-1A has been developed by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and is the second satellite in a planned group of 11 nanosatellites. Once completed, the constellation will focus on monitoring and capturing images of the Korean Peninsula and nearby regions.
Earlier, only one satellite under this programme had reached low Earth orbit. NEONSAT-1 was launched aboard an Electron rocket in April 2024.
The newly launched NEONSAT-1A is an advanced Earth observation satellite equipped with a high-resolution optical camera. Despite the progress, officials clarified that the system does not yet qualify as a full satellite constellation.
The broader NEONSAT project is designed to support near-real-time monitoring of natural disasters affecting the Korean Peninsula. The constellation is being developed through collaboration among several academic, industrial, and research institutions in South Korea. SaTReC is leading the programme’s system design and engineering, according to Rocket Lab.
Funding for the NEONSAT programme is being provided by the Ministry of Science and ICT of the Korean government.
For Rocket Lab, the mission marked its 2nd launch of 2026 and its 81st launch overall. The company carried out 21 missions in 2025, setting a new annual record.
Confirming the success of the mission, Rocket Lab posted, “MISSION SUCCESS! Payload deployment is confirmed for the ‘Bridging The Swarm’ mission for KAIST.” The company added that this was its 2nd launch in 8 days, maintaining a 100% mission success rate so far in 2026.
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