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Busan Metropolitan City Successfully Launches and Establishes Two-Way Communication with “BusanSat,” the First Marine Observation Satellite by a Local Government

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Busan Metropolitan City (Acting Mayor Kim Kyung-duk) announced that “BusanSat,” the first ultra-small marine observation satellite by a local government, was successfully launched yesterday (May 3) at 16:00 (Korea Standard Time) from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA, aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launch vehicle.

“BusanSat” successfully separated into orbit at an altitude of approximately 615 km at 18:19 on May 3 and achieved its first two-way communication with the Punta Arenas ground station in Chile at 00:41 on May 4, successfully stabilizing in orbit. This marks an initial operational milestone indicating that the satellite communication system has begun functioning normally.

“BusanSat” will undergo an initial operational phase before carrying out full-scale missions, including the observation of marine fine particulate matter. It is an ultra-small satellite weighing approximately 12 kg with a 12U standard size (20 cm × 20 cm × 30 cm), developed through collaboration between the City and local universities, research institutes, and companies.

Over approximately one year, it will observe extensive maritime areas, including the Busan port region, the west coast of the Korean Peninsula, and the Pacific Ocean. The satellite will directly acquire data necessary for addressing marine, port, and urban challenges, which will be utilized in atmospheric environment analysis and climate change research.

A key feature of this satellite is the application of polarization camera (Polcube) technology—originally used in Korea’s first lunar orbiter, “Danuri”—adapted for Earth observation. This high-performance instrument enables precise analysis of the size and composition of fine particulate matter in the atmosphere, as well as ocean surface conditions that are difficult to capture with conventional optical cameras.

With the capability to observe even through cloud cover, the satellite is expected to have significant value not only in atmospheric environment analysis but also in climate change prediction research.

Building on the launch of “BusanSat,” the City plans to establish a global foundation for utilizing marine environmental data by integrating marine and space technologies. It will collaborate with domestic and international institutions, including NASA and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, to share data processing and analysis technologies and provide the acquired data to local universities and research institutes.

Through this initiative, the City expects to promote the use of data across various fields, including marine fine particulate matter analysis, atmospheric environment research, and port and urban policy development, while also contributing to the creation of a data-driven marine new industry ecosystem.

Kim Kyung-duk, Acting Mayor of Busan Metropolitan City, stated, “The launch of ‘BusanSat’ is more than just a satellite launch—it represents a meaningful first step for Busan, a global maritime city, to directly secure marine environmental data by leveraging space technology.” He added, “We will continue to cooperate with relevant institutions to ensure that the observation data from ‘BusanSat’ can be utilized in responding to climate change and fostering new marine industries.”