29349 - KOREASAT 5 (MUGUNGWHA 5)

KoreaSat 5, also known as Mugungwha 5, is a South Korean geostationary satellite that was launched at 03:27 UT on 22 August 2006 by a Zenit 3SL rocket from the Odyssey platform floating on the equatorial Pacific Ocean at 154 degrees W longitude. The 4.5 tonne (with fuel) satellite carries 24 Ku-band, 8 SHF-band, and 4 Ka-band transponders to provide digital television and conventional telecom services to the Asia-Pacific region, serving the interests of commercial and (primarily) military agencies, after parking over 113 degrees E longitude. (It is reported that there has not been a KoreaSat 4, because the number four may be associated with death in some Asian cultures. Mugungwha is the Korean name for South Korea's national flower, the Rose of Sharon.)

Alternate Names

Mugungwha 5

Facts in Brief

Launch Date: 1997-06-25
Launch Vehicle: Ariane 44P
Launch Site: Kourou, French Guiana