Home / Satellites and debris by country
Live count
How many satellites and how much debris does South Korea have in orbit?
Numbers last changed (orbit data of , catalogue of ). CelesTrak's catalogue records 72 objects in Earth orbit for South Korea: 60 active satellites, 8 inactive satellites, 4 rocket bodies and 0 pieces of debris.
What this means
The catalogue records these objects under the owner "Republic of Korea" (code SKOR). That ranks 15th of 106 owners, after Canada (81) and ahead of SES (68). No debris in Earth orbit is recorded under this owner. 1 more object that has not re-entered is recorded around other bodies (orbit centre MO 1) and are not counted here.
The 2-hourly orbit data agrees: 60 active.
By kind
| Kind | Objects | Share of this owner (percent) | Share of every owner's (percent) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active satellites | 60 | 83.3 | 0.3 |
| Inactive satellites | 8 | 11.1 | 0.3 |
| Rocket bodies | 4 | 5.6 | 0.2 |
| Debris | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| In Earth orbit | 72 | 100.0 | 0.2 |
Orbits
The largest group of these objects is in low Earth orbit (62). (groups from perigee and apogee.)
| Orbit group | Satellites | Rocket bodies | Debris | Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low Earth orbit (below 2,000 km) | 58 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Geostationary belt (35,586 to 35,986 km) | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Beyond the geostationary belt | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
When they were launched
More of these objects were launched in the 2020s than in any other decade (52, 48 of them satellites). 5 were launched in 2026. The oldest dates from 1992.
| Launch decade | Satellites | Rocket bodies, debris and unknown |
|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5 | 0 |
| 2000s | 3 | 0 |
| 2010s | 12 | 0 |
| 2020s | 48 | 4 |
Notable objects
- Oldest still in orbit: KITSAT A (KO-23) (catalogue number 22077, 1992-052B, satellite), launched .
- Most recent launch: CAS500-4 (catalogue number 69869, 2026-156A, satellite), launched .
- Largest radar cross-section: KOREASAT 5 (MUGUNGWHA 5) (catalogue number 29349, 2006-034A, satellite), 25.1 square metres.
- Highest apogee: COMS 1 (catalogue number 36744, 2010-032A, satellite), 36,140 km at its highest point.
Object details
| Catalogue number | Name | International designator | Status | Launch date | Perigee (km) | Apogee (km) | Inclination (degrees) | Radar cross-section (square metres) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 69869 | CAS500-4 | 2026-156A | Operational | 883 | 899 | 99 | - | |
| 69013 | CAS500-2 | 2026-100AK | Operational | 498 | 511 | 97.4 | - | |
| 68989 | BUSANSAT | 2026-100K | Operational | 589 | 599 | 97.7 | - | |
| 68417 | JACK-002 | 2026-067B | Operational | 504 | 505 | 97.5 | - | |
| 67614 | NEONSAT-1A | 2026-019A | Operational | 530 | 549 | 97.4 | - | |
| 66820 | KOMPSAT-7 | 2025-279A | Operational | 554 | 572 | 97.8 | - | |
| 66771 | GYEONGGISAT-1 | 2025-276DK | Operational | 499 | 502 | 97.4 | - | |
| 66662 | E3T-1 (E3TESTER-1) | 2025-274N | Operational | 573 | 594 | 97.8 | - | |
| 66661 | SNUGLITE-III | 2025-274M | Operational | 574 | 595 | 97.8 | - | |
| 66660 | K-HERO | 2025-274L | Operational | 575 | 595 | 97.8 | - | |
| 66659 | JACK K | 2025-274K | Operational | 575 | 594 | 97.8 | - | |
| 66658 | COSMIC | 2025-274J | Operational | 574 | 592 | 97.8 | - | |
| 66657 | SPIRONE | 2025-274H | Operational | 577 | 594 | 97.8 | - | |
| 66656 | OBJECT G | 2025-274G | Operational | 577 | 596 | 97.8 | - | |
| 66655 | CAS500-3 | 2025-274F | Operational | 601 | 605 | 97.7 | - | |
| 66654 | JACK E | 2025-274E | Operational | 578 | 596 | 97.8 | - | |
| 66653 | INHA-ROSAT | 2025-274D | Operational | 580 | 597 | 97.8 | - | |
| 66652 | OBJECT C | 2025-274C | Operational | 579 | 595 | 97.8 | - | |
| 66651 | OBJECT B | 2025-274B | Operational | 578 | 595 | 97.8 | - | |
| 66650 | BEE-1000 | 2025-274A | Operational | 579 | 595 | 97.8 | - | |
| 66293 | KORSAT-4 | 2025-248A | Operational | 570 | 571 | 45.4 | - | |
| 63630 | KORSAT-3 | 2025-081A | Operational | 559 | 578 | 45.4 | - | |
| 63229 | SPACEEYE-T1 | 2025-052V | Operational | 492 | 500 | 97.4 | - | |
| 63210 | JINJUSAT-1B | 2025-052A | Operational | 453 | 459 | 97.4 | - | |
| 62377 | KORSAT-2 | 2024-247A | Operational | 571 | 571 | 45.4 | - |
| Catalogue number | Name | International designator | Launch date | Perigee (km) | Apogee (km) | Inclination (degrees) | Radar cross-section (square metres) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52896 | KSLV-II R/B | 2022-065C | 664 | 687 | 98.3 | - | |
| 56750 | KSLV-II R/B | 2023-072H | 443 | 473 | 97.5 | - | |
| 58501 | TLV R/B | 2023-188B | 399 | 547 | 46.9 | - | |
| 66663 | KSLV-II R/B | 2025-274P | 527 | 615 | 97.8 | - |
These tables show 29 of the 72 objects; 58 have no radar cross-section and come last in the size order. A dash: no value in the catalogue. The button below (it needs JavaScript) loads the full list of this data version as a table to filter and page through.
Questions
How many satellites does South Korea have in orbit?
68 satellites in Earth orbit as of 7 October 2026, 04:04 UTC: 60 active and 8 inactive, as the catalogue records the owner "Republic of Korea".
How much space debris does South Korea have?
None in the catalogue: no piece of debris in Earth orbit is recorded under "Republic of Korea", though 4 rocket bodies are.
How many objects of South Korea re-entered in the last year?
2 in the 365 days to 7 October 2026, of 12 that have re-entered since the first launch. 22 launched in those 365 days are still in orbit.
More owners
Nearest in the ranking: Globalstar (85), Canada (81), SES (68), ORBCOMM (66). Every owner, searchable; active satellites only: satellites by country and the satellite count.
Sources
CelesTrak SATCAT, CelesTrak SATCAT format, CelesTrak SATCAT source codes, CelesTrak SATCAT status codes, CelesTrak current GP data (the active list), NASA Orbital Debris Program Office, frequently asked questions.