Launch Of South Korean CAS500-1 Satellite Delayed Until 2021 - Space Source

Daniyal Sohail Published September 20, 2020 | 07:40 AM

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th September, 2020) The launch of South Korean CAS500-1 (Compact Advanced Satellite 500) space vehicle from the Baikonur space center has been postponed until the start of next year, a space industry source told Sputnik.

In August, Russian private company Sputnix announced that the launch of the CAS500-1 Earth-observation satellite was set for November 2020.

"The launch of the CAS500-1 satellite has been delayed until the first quarter of 2021," a space industry source told Sputnik on Sunday, adding that the delay has to do with the fact that the satellite is not ready yet.

Glavkosmos, a subsidiary of Russian space agency Roscosmos, signed a contract with Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) for the launch of CAS500-1 in August, 2017. The Soyuz 2.1a carrier rocket with the Fregat upper stage is planned to be used as the mission's launch vehicle.

Apart from CAS500-1, other payloads are planned to be delivered into orbit as part of the mission.