Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 Unit 2

North Korean Earth observation satellite; first satellite orbited by North Korea

The Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 Unit 2 is North Korea's first orbital satellite. It was launched on December 12, 2012. [1] It replaced the Unit 1 that failed to orbit on April 13, 2012. It weighs almost 220 pounds. It is used to collect Korea's weather data, estimate crop yields, and gather data about the country's forest coverage. Its planned lifespan is only two years.

References change

  1. "조선우주공간기술위원회 대변인 대답". Naenara. Retrieved 12 December 2012.