SpaceX launches KT’s Koreasat-6A satellite to orbit

On November 11, 2024, SpaceX launched Koreasat-6A satellite to orbit with a new Falcon 9 rocket mission. This new satellite will provide satellite connectivity service to KT SAT, a satellite arm of Korea’s telecom giant KT.

The company lifted off this rocket from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida with the first launch opportunity.

Liftoff of Koreasat-6A! pic.twitter.com/zB66vmdwnD

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 11, 2024

This is the first KT SAT satellite launch in the past seven years. Its Koreasat 5A and Koreasat 7 communication satellites were launched in 2017.

The latest addition to this satellite constellation offers improved location-based information around Korea. It will also replace the Koreasat 6 satellite in orbit, which will complete 15 years in 2025 of its design life.

The satellite will boost KT SAT’s services for accurate location-based information for the transportation industry and military use cases.

The telecom giant is expected to open these satellite communication services later this week according to the people related to this matter.

Liftoff, Landing, and Deployment

This mission was short and precise compared to Starlink launches. It marked staged separation around 2:20 minutes in the mission time and sent back the first stage to Earth within a few seconds.

The first stage booster landed on Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at about 8 minutes in time. This was the 23rd overall flight for the first-stage booster and it previously supported important liftoffs including:

• CRS-22
• Crew-3
• Turksat 5B
• Crew-4
• CRS-25
• Eutelsat HORBIRD 13G
• 03B mPOWER
• PSN SATRIA
• Telkomsat Marah Putih 2
• Galileo L13
• 12 Starlink missions

Falcon 9’s first stage has landed on Landing Zone 1 pic.twitter.com/InuswXE43p

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 11, 2024

SpaceX confirmed the Koreasat-6A deployment at 35 minutes in the mission time.

(Source)