KARI senior researcher Choi Gi-hyuk said a satellite is the right product for the nation to invest in because of its unparalleled prowess in electronics. "Satellites are a mixture of high-tech components and software. As Korea°Øs electronics industry is leading the world, it will be able to make a big splash in satellites," Choi predicted. Korea got into the satellite business in the early 1990s, decades later than such space powerhouses as the United States and the former Soviet Union. The country got its first commercial satellite in as late as 1995 when the fixedline telecom operator KT launched a communications satellite Koreasat 1 (Mugunghwa). At that time 22 countries including the U.S., Russia, China, Japan and India were already running commercial satellites. The distance between Korea and satellite leaders was narrowed when Korea launched the Arirang project in the late 1990s of building multi-purpose satellites masterminded by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) in collaboration with the KARI. The unmanned Arirang I took off in 1999 in the U.S. and the second Arirang satellite is scheduled to be launched from Russia this November. Two more advanced Arirang satellites equipped with high-resolution cameras will be lifted off in 2008 and 2009 to provide Korea with its own satellite coverage. Providing Clear Airborne Vision One of main applications the Arirang remote-sensing satellites, which can be updated with airborne information, is to find mineral resources and to get weather information. Arirang II will be armed with a highresolution camera, called a multi-spectral camera (MSC) that was co-developed by the KARI and the Israel-based firm Elop. MSC is an advanced camera that can take two or more images of a scene simultaneously with each image taken in a different spectral band. The new-fangled airborne camera can capture images at a 1-meter resolution. That means at an altitude of 685 kilometers, it can identify whether a moving vehicle is a truck or a passenger car. In an emergency, Arirang II can descend to an altitude of 150 kilometers, increasing its resolution to 25 centimeters. The KARI started co-researching the satellite-specific MSC in 2000 and channeled a total of 39 billion won into the project before producing the camera late last year. The 200-billion-won Arirang V will use an even more advanced remote-sensing technology based on synthetic aperture radar (SAR). The SAR system takes advantage of the unique characteristics of radar signals that can capture above-ground images despite atmospheric conditions or time of day. This feature starkly compares to the camera of Arirang II that is of little use in inclement weather or at night. Another advantage of the SAR system, which will float 685 kilometers above the equator, is its ability to record underground or undersea information for mineral exploration. Because of its importance, the MOST has decided to advance the launch of Arirang V by two years. It was originally scheduled to take off in 2010. "We aim to blast off Arirang V in 2008, even sooner than Arirang III because of our high expectations of the capabilities of SAR," MOST director Choi Eun-chul said. The KARI also plans to blast off Coms I in 2008, which will have three applications: communications, meteorological watch and ocean exploration. Attracting People's Attention The nation wants wide public support to facilitate its space programs as was demonstrated by recent science programs such as the one dealing with nurturing Korea°Øs first astronaut. The honor of being the first Korean astronaut will be given to a Korean who passes a multi-stage screening process involving physical and mental fitness checks, English and science tests, and interviews. The astronaut has to be 164-190 centimeters tall, weigh between 45-90 kilograms have eyesight of over 0.1 and corrected eyesight of 1.0 with no criminal record. He should be fluent in English and show a willingness to learn Russian. The two candidates, who pass the screening process will undergo training at Russia°Øs Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center next year. In late 2007, one of the two hopefuls will travel to the International Space Station aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft for a 10-day trip. The KARI is raising 20 billion won for the astronaut project and the state-backed institute expects it would be able to start receiving applications later this year. To promote support of the space program, Arirang II will carry the pictures and names of approximately 120,000 Koreans when it flies into the outer space in November. A huge number of Koreans applied to have their names carried into space at KARI°Øs Internet site earlier this year, surpassing the preset target of 100,000 people. The KARI originally planned to reduce to the number to 100,000 on a first-comefirst- served basis but instead opted to accept the personal data of all applicants to raise the profile of the space program. The information will be stored in a memory chip inside the 266.7 billion won satellite. KOSPI breaks 1,200: A stock price board at a Seoul brokerage house shows share prices are sharply higher across the board on Monday. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 30.53 points, or 2.6 percent, to close at 1,206.41, breaking through the historically significant 1,200 point mark for the first time.