South Korea's new science satellite to be launched Thursday

South Korea's new science satellite will be launched this week from a launch site in Russia, Yonhap reported quoting the science ministry said Wednesday. The Science and Technology Satellite 3 (STSAT-3) will be launched at 4:10 p.m. (KST) on Thursday from Russia's Yasny Launch Base, according to the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning. The satellite arrived at the Russian launch site on Oct. 24. As the country's sixth indigenous satellite, the STSAT-3 is equipped with an infrared radar that can detect changes in temperatures on the earth's surface and underground, enabling the country to monitor subterranean activities such as volcanoes and earthquakes. "No problem has been detected in either the launch vehicle or satellite," an official from the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) said about the outcome of a final launch rehearsal that took place Tuesday at the Russian launch site. The satellite will be launched using Russia's Dnepr, a ballistic missile-turned space launch vehicle.