A media delegation from South Korea visited the Thales Alenia Space satellite production facility in Toulouse, France, to examine Koreasat 6A and its payload. The visitors heard that the launch is on schedule for the winter of 2024-2025.

The satellite uses Thales Alenia’s flight-proven Spacebus 4000 system, and will replace Koreasat 6 currently in orbit. The contract with Thales Alenia was signed in September 2022 and is with Korean satellite service operator KT Sat, a subsidiary of KT Corp, and covered the build of Koreasat-6A to provide, broadcasting and fixed communications services.

Koreasat 6A will replace the current Koreasat 6 satellite and will deliver both fixed satellite service (FSS) and broadcasting satellite service (BSS) to South Korea. It will be positioned in geostationary orbit at 116° East.

Koreasat 6A is being fitted with six BSS transponders and 20 FSS transponders to cover all of South Korea. Slated for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2024, Koreasat 6A will weigh about 3.5 metric tons at launch and offers a design life of 15 years.

Koreasat 6A will also carry a satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) payload to improve the continuity and availability of the Korea Augmentation Satellite System (KASS). KASS is similar to the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS). It improves the positioning and navigation performance provided by global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) for a number of different sectors, especially aviation. It has been developed to meet international standards by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), improving the accuracy and reliability of global positioning system (GPS) signals and better ensure flight safety and efficiency, while also reducing the environmental impact of air travel.

The satellite will be launched by SpaceX.

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2. Thuraya-3 suffers major problem
3. AST SpaceMobile hit by Class Action
4. Optimism under threat at SES
5. Rivada visits Terran Orbital’s manufacturing HQ
6. Avanti wins spectrum debt obligation case
7. SpaceX breaks records for re-use launchers
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Categories: Blogs, Inside Satellite, Satellite

Tags: satellite, South Korea, spacex, Thales Alenia