Korea's first weather ship, the Gisang 1, was launched by the Korea Meteorological Administration on May 30 from Incheon. The 498-ton ship has the capacity for 47 passengers and is designed to track weather conditions by observing the air, ocean and seabed.
The Gisang 1 is equipped with high-end technologies, like theAutomated Shipboard Aerological Programme (ASAP) that sends information directly to local weather services, including the temperature, atmospheric pressure and wind direction. It also has Conductivity, Temperature, Depth (CTD) sensors and an echo sounder.
The ship's primary function will be to take seasonal observations, including yellow dust levels and basic wind and sea measurements to track and warn of monsoons, typhoons and other natural disasters like earthquakes to share with the international community.
