Science
KOMPSAT-3A
Very High Resolution / Infrared Imaging · KARI
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South Korea's most advanced multispectral satellite, KOMPSAT-3A adds infrared imaging to the Korean Earth observation constellation — detecting heat signatures from operating facilities invisible to optical cameras. Particularly valuable for monitoring North Korean military and industrial activity, where heat emissions reveal operational status that optical imagery alone cannot determine.
Its orbit
- Orbit
- Low Earth Orbitcan appear as a fast-moving star at dawn or dusk
- Altitude
- 225–266 mi (361–429 km)
- Inclination
- 97.7°
- One orbit
- 92.3 minutes15.6 orbits a day
- NORAD ID
- 40536
- Int’l designator
- 2015-014A
- Launched
- 2015
Orbital elements from CelesTrak, as of 22 Sep 2026.