# KOMPSAT-3A
*missions*

## Specifications
- **operator**: kari
- **launch vehicle**: dnepr
- **actual launch**: 2015-03-26
- **planned decommission**: 2026-12-31
- **current status**: extended
- **orbit type**: Sun-synchronous LEO, 528 km, 98.1-98.5 deg inclination, 13:30 LTAN
- **swath km**: 12
- **revisit days**: 28
- **tasking supported**: true
- **archive depth years**: 11
- **current geographic priority**: High-resolution optical and infrared land observation for GIS, environmental monitoring, agriculture, urban planning, disaster relief, and resource management.
- **entity type**: mission
- **last verified date**: 2026-06-14
- **verified by**: agency-doc
- **claim status**: agency-sourced
- **provider**: kari
- **attributes**: {"operator":"kari","launch_vehicle":"dnepr","actual_launch":"2015-03-26","planned_decommission":"2026-12-31","current_status":"extended","orbit_type":"Sun-synchronous LEO, 528 km, 98.1-98.5 deg inclination, 13:30 LTAN","swath_km":12,"revisit_days":28,"tasking_supported":true,"archive_depth_years":11,"current_geographic_priority":"High-resolution optical and infrared land observation for GIS, environmental monitoring, agriculture, urban planning, disaster relief, and resource management."}

## Editorial
KOMPSAT-3A (Arirang-3A, Korea Multi-Purpose Satellite-3A) is a Korean high-resolution optical and infrared Earth-observation mission developed and operated by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), launched on 26 March 2015 by a Dnepr vehicle. The satellite extends the KOMPSAT-3 line with the addition of an infrared imaging payload, enabling both optical and thermal land observation from a sun-synchronous LEO at 528 km altitude with 13:30 local time ascending node.[^kari-arirang-3a][^wmo-kompsat3a]

The primary payload is the AEISS-A sensor at 0.55 m panchromatic and 2.2 m multispectral resolution. The secondary payload is the Infrared Imaging Payload (IIP) providing 5.5 m thermal imaging. Orbit inclination is reported as 98.1 degrees from CEOS and 98.513 degrees from an operations paper, with public sources recording values in the 98.1-98.5 degree range.[^ceos-kompsat3a][^issfd-kompsat3a-ops] An archive depth of approximately 11 years is available. Commercial tasking through third-party distributors has been available; current 2026 SLA terms and active archive endpoints were not verified from operator sources.[^sic-kompsat3a] Application domains include urban change mapping, disaster damage assessment, land cover change, crop stress monitoring, and urban heat island assessment.[^sic-kompsat3a]

## Compositional position
- KOMPSAT-3A --[mission_payloads]--> aeiss-a (products)
- KOMPSAT-3A --[mission_payloads]--> iip (products)
- KOMPSAT-3A --[related-topic]--> urban-change (topics)
- KOMPSAT-3A --[related-topic]--> disaster-damage-assessment (topics)
- KOMPSAT-3A --[related-topic]--> land-cover-change (topics)
- KOMPSAT-3A --[related-topic]--> crop-stress (topics)
- KOMPSAT-3A --[related-topic]--> urban-heat (topics)

## Sources
- [kari-arirang-3a] | KARI, Multi-purpose Practical Satellite (Arirang) No.3A | https://www.kari.re.kr/eng/contents/163 | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-14
- [wmo-kompsat3a] | WMO OSCAR, Satellite: KOMPSAT-3A | https://space.oscar.wmo.int/satellites/view/kompsat_3a | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-14
- [ceos-kompsat3a] | CEOS Database, KOMPSAT-3A satellite mission summary | https://database.eohandbook.com/database/missionsummary.aspx?missionID=698 | tier=community | accessed=2026-06-14
- [issfd-kompsat3a-ops] | Analysis on the Minimization of Contact Overlap Time between KOMPSAT-3A and KOMPSAT-3 | https://issfd.org/2015/files/downloads/papers/086_Kim.pdf | tier=peer-reviewed | accessed=2026-06-14
- [sic-kompsat3a] | Satellite Imaging Corporation, KOMPSAT-3A satellite sensor specifications | https://satimagingcorp.com/satellite-sensor/kompsat-3a/ | tier=operator-datasheet | accessed=2026-06-14

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Source: https://eo-atlas.org/missions/kompsat-3a
Maintainer: SpectraWorks B.V. (CC-BY 4.0)