STSat-2B

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Failed South Korean satellite

title: "STSat-2B" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["satellites-of-south-korea", "spacecraft-launched-in-2010", "satellite-launch-failures", "earth-observation-satellites"] description: "Failed South Korean satellite" topic_path: "geography/south-korea" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STSat-2B" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Failed South Korean satellite ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox spaceflight"]

Field	Value
name	STSat-2B
names_list	Science and Technology Satellite-2B
image_size	300px
mission_type	Technology, Science
operator	Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI)
mission_duration	2 years (planned)
Failed to orbit
spacecraft_type	STSat
spacecraft_bus	STSat-2A
manufacturer	KAIST Satellite Technology Research Center (SaTReC)
launch_mass	100 kg
dimensions	62 cm x 70 cm x 90 cm
power	160 watts
launch_date	10 June 2010, 08:01 UTC
launch_rocket	Naro-1 # 2
launch_site	Naro Space Center
launch_contractor	Khrunichev / KARI
last_contact	Failed to orbit
orbit_reference	Geocentric orbit
orbit_regime	Low Earth (planned)
orbit_periapsis	300 km
orbit_apoapsis	1500 km
orbit_inclination	80.0°
orbit_period	103.0 minutes
apsis	gee
instruments	Dual-channel Radiometers for Earth and Atmosphere Monitoring (DREAM)
Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA)
Dual Head Star Tracker (DHST)
Pulsed Plasma Thruster (PPT)
Fine Digital Sun Sensor (FDSS)
programme	STSat program
previous_mission	STSat-2A
next_mission	STSat-2C
::

| launch_date = 10 June 2010, 08:01 UTC | launch_rocket = Naro-1 # 2 | launch_site = Naro Space Center | launch_contractor = Khrunichev / KARI

| last_contact = Failed to orbit | decay_date =

| instruments = Dual-channel Radiometers for Earth and Atmosphere Monitoring (DREAM) Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA) Dual Head Star Tracker (DHST) Pulsed Plasma Thruster (PPT) Fine Digital Sun Sensor (FDSS)

| programme = STSat program | previous_mission = STSat-2A | next_mission = STSat-2C

STSat-2B, or Science and Technology Satellite-2B, was a South Korean satellite which was lost in the failure of the second flight of the Naro-1 launch vehicle. It was to have been operated by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), and was intended to demonstrate technology for future spacecraft. The satellite had a mass of 100 kg, and was expected to operate for at least two years.

STSat-2B was originally intended to operate alongside a second spacecraft, STSat-2A; however STSat-2A was lost in 2009 after the payload fairing of its carrier rocket failed to separate, leaving the rocket unable to achieve orbit.

Instruments

The primary instrument aboard STSat-2B was the Dual-channel Radiometer for Earth and Atmosphere Monitoring, or DREAM, which would have measured the brightness temperature of the Earth at 23.8 GHz and 37 GHz. The secondary payload, the Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA) was to have been used for the Satellite laser ranging experiment, which was intended to determine the parameters of the satellite's orbit with a greater degree of precision. Data collected by the secondary payload would have been used to calibrate DREAM, to conduct geodetic research, and to evaluate the performance of the launch vehicle. Due to lower manufacturing tolerance, the retroreflectors on STSat-2B would have provided greater precision than those intended on STSat-2A.

A series of technological experiments were also to have been conducted; investigating attitude control systems, and testing pulsed plasma thrusters, star trackers, a Sun sensor, as well as an experimental onboard computer, and data relay at rates of up to 10 megabits per second.

Launch

STSat-2B was launched by a Naro-1 launch vehicle, flying from the Naro Space Center. The launch was the second flight of the Naro-1, which consisted of a modified Angara first stage manufactured by Khrunichev, and a South Korean solid-fuelled upper stage. The previous Naro-1 launch was that of STSat-2A, which occurred in August 2009 and ended in failure.

The launch was initially scheduled to occur on 9 June 2010, during a two-hour launch window opening at 07:30 UTC (16:30 local time). Further launch attempts were available at the same time each day until 19 June 2010. The launch attempt on 9 June 2010 was scrubbed after the launch pad's fire suppression system activated for no apparent reason.

Following the scrub, the launch was rescheduled for the next day, and took place at 08:01 UTC (17:01 local time) on 10 June 2010. During the first stage burn, around 137 seconds into the flight, contact with the rocket was lost. South Korean science minister Ahn Byung-man later told reporters that the rocket was believed to have exploded. If the launch had been successful, STSat-2B would have been deployed into an orbit with a perigee of 300 km, an apogee of 1500 km, and around 80.0° of inclination.

References

Noll, Carey. "ILRS Mission Support Status". NASA.
Lee Joon-seung. (26 August 2010). "South Korean satellite lost shortly after launch". [[Yonhap News Agency]].
(2005). "2005 Asia-Pacific Microwave Conference Proceedings".
Noll, Carey. "RetroReflector Array (RRA) Characteristics". NASA.
(2 April 2010). "First-Stage Engine of Naro-1 to Arrive on Weekend". Arirang.
Jang Ji-yun. (20 April 2010). "Korea to Launch 2nd Naro Space Rocket on June 9". Arirang.
(10 June 2010). "South Korea's Naro-1 rocket lifts off from space center". [[Yonhap News Agency]].
(10 June 2010). "Ground controllers lose contact with space rocket after takeoff". [[Yonhap News Agency]].
(10 June 2010). "South Korean space rocket might have exploded: science minister". Xinhua.
Noll, Carey. "STSat-2". NASA.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::