한국항공우주연구원

The world's first geostationary satellite to observe fine dust and red tide, Cheollian Satellite 2B, finally unveiled to the public

◇ Successful completion of the Cheollian Satellite 2B, a geostationary satellite with atmospheric and marine environment observation system payloads
◇ To play a leading role in the real-time monitoring of the marine environment in East Asia, such as the generation and migration of air pollutants and red tide/green tide


□ The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT, Minister, Choi Ki-young ), Ministry of Environment (MOE, Minister, Jo Myeong-rae), and Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (MOF, Minister, Moon Seong-hyeok) unveiled on December 4, the Cheollian Satellite 2B, a geostationary orbit* satellite developed to observe fine dust as well as the marine environment.
* The geostationary orbit is a satellite orbit that has the same period as the earth at an altitude of 36,000 km above the equator, so satellites can continuously observe the same area.

ㅇCheollian Satellite 2B* is under preparation to be transported to an overseas launch center (Guiana Space Center in South America) after the completion of preliminary inspections for the launch next February.
* A fine dust and marine environment observation satellite developed jointly by MSIT, MOE, and MOF with a total project cost of 386.7 billion won in 2011-2020


□ Cheollian Satellite 2B is a satellite for observing the atmospheric environment, such as fine dust in the Korean Peninsula and the East Asian region, and the marine environment such as green tide/red tide around the Korean Peninsula. It carries the world’s first geostationary orbit environment observation payload (to be launched 2-3 years earlier than the US and EU ESA) and a marine environment observation payload that has been upgraded from the payload of Cheollian Satellite 1.

ㅇThe environmental payload is an ultra-precision optical system for observing fine dust and other materials in the air. It will observe the East Asian region, from Japan in the east to Northern Indonesia in the west and Southern Mongolia to the north, and produce 20 types of air pollutant* information.
* Fine dust and fine dust-inducing materials, such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), formaldehyde (HCHO),and climate change-inducing ozone (O3)

- It will also trace the migration paths of fine dust to analyze scientifically the impact of overseas dust on the domestic atmospheric environment of Korea and identify areas that generate the most fine dust in Korea for concentrated management . The information can be used for the establishment of air quality improvement policies.
- While the current fine dust forecast uses only ground observation data, adding domestic and international satellite observation data is expected to improve the accuracy of forecasting and contribute to the enhancement of the people’s health and quality of life.

ㅇThe marine payload is an optical system for the observation of marine disasters such as red and green tides, and the performance of Cheollian Satellite 2B has been significantly improved in terms of resolution (500m → 250m) and calculated information (13 types → 26 types) compared to Cheollian Satellite 1 launched in 2010.
- It is expected to minimize damages to the marine environment through preventive activities by observing and providing information on the development of oil spill, red and green tides, etc. in real time.
- It will contribute to the protection of the marine environment and the management of marine resources by monitoring the dumping of pollutants into the sea and the changes in seawater quality. Moreover, it can be widely used for maritime safety and defense activities by observing sea currents and sea fogs.


□ The agencies responsible for the development and operation of Cheollian Satellite 2A and 2B plan to make sure that the observed data are utilized most effectively through mutual communication and close cooperation.

ㅇThey expect the information to be utilizable for additional applications in a wide range of fields when the accuracy of the fine dust observation data is improved by combining the fine dust observation data generated by Cheollian Satellite 2B and the cloud observation data generated by Cheollian Satellite 2A.

ㅇSuch convergence and combination of satellite data have attracted great interest from advanced countries such as the United States and Europe.


□ Cheollian Satellite 2B will be transported to the Guiana Space Center early January next year and launched using Arianespace’s launch vehicle (Ariane-5) in February next year after final pre-launch inspections on site.

ㅇAfter Cheollian Satellite 2B is launched and securely positioned in the geostationary orbit at 36,000 km altitude, it will undergo in orbit tests and demonstration services for performance optimization and provide marine information services beginning in October 2020 and atmospheric environment information beginning in 2021.
- People should be able to check the emissions of air pollutants scattered throughout East Asia, including Korea, and the concentration of long-distance migrating air pollutants easily using a smartphone beginning in 2021.


□ "We expect the launching of Cheollian Satellite 2B following 2A to establish a world-class service system for the observation of the meteorological, atmospheric, and oceanic conditions of the Korean Peninsula. The government plans to provide high-quality services to help people cope more effectively with disasters, such as fine dust and red tide and green tide, which they experience in daily life,” said Choi Won-ho, Director of Space, Nuclear & Big Science Policy at MSIT.