Towards a Global Satellite Operator
KT SAT announced a successful launch of Koreasat 7 in Guiana, France on May 5 (local time), which now allows KT SAT to have four communications satellites including Koreasat 5, Koreasat 6, and Koreasat 8 which is a condosat.
Koreasat 7 is expected to reach its geostationary orbit on May 15 and begin to provide services from late May after going through IOT (In-Orbit- performance Test). The communications satellite will be positioned at 116°E.
Koreasat 7, built by the Franco-Italian aerospace manufacturer Thales Alenia Space, was transported to the launch site in French on February 14, 2017 after the assembly and the completion of all necessary tests at plants located in Cannes and Toulouse, France, which were conducted over a two and a half year from 2014 to 2017, The satellite was launched by the French multinational launch service provider Arianespace that has the highest success rate in launching satellites.
Koreasat 7 will provide global satellite services not only for Korea but also for other countries. Unlike Koreasat 5 and 6 which provided services only for Korea, Koreasat 7 is expected to cover Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia, Indochinese Peninsula, and India. In particular, Koreasat 7 is equipped with a Ka-band steerable beam that can cover high radio frequencies (20~36GHz) and can be used with small antennas thanks to its outstanding linearity. The feature enables providing services to any region in need of satellite services in addition to the countries mentioned above. Furthermore, Koreasat 7 will provide high quality satellite services using a total of 33 transponders including 54MHz broadband transponders optimized for high-resolution satellite broadcasting, and satellite LTE services, and broadcast transponders for UHD satellite broadcasting.
Although Koreasat 7 has a design life of 15 years, it is expected to operate for over 20 years considering the amount of fuel and KT SAT’s 23 years satellite operation experiences. Since the launch of its first satellite Koreasat 1 in August 1995, KT SAT has been accumulating knowhow and experience in satellite operation. KT SAT is expected to provide high efficiency services at even more reasonable prices than it used to.
Koreasat 7 is also expected to accelerate the Fourth Industrial Revolution by expanding the telecommunications infrastructure through the utilization of outer space. KT SAT can provide the same kind of mobile environment in the ocean as on land through its maritime communications service MVSAT. Satellites will be able to provide seamless communication services in mountainous regions and other remote areas as well.
“Koreasat 7 is the long-term project that we have worked on for the past three years. Thanks to its successful launch, we can now extend our services to Indonesia and Indochinese Peninsula. The successful launch of Koreasat 7 will allow Korea’s No.1 satellite operator KT SAT to grow into a global satellite operator.” Hahn Won-sic, CEO of KT SAT said.
To strengthen global business ability, KT SAT will create packages by utilizing its own satellite management system GNOSS (Global Network Operation Support System) and integrating it with KT’s excellent infrastructure and provide total services. KT SAT will actively promote Koreasat 7 at “CommunicAsia 2017,” the largest ICT exhibition in Asia-Pacific to be held in Singapore in May 2017.
The GNOSS is Korea’s first standardized satellite service management system that encompasses opening, technical support, VOC (Voice Of the Customer) management, and other services. The system can also provide integrated service management and create data through the satellite resource management and report creation functions.