The first images captured by the nation’s recently launched multipurpose satellite have been made public.
 
The Korea Aerospace Research Institute revealed Tuesday satellite images of Seoul and Cheonji Lake, located at the top of Mount Baekdu at the North Korea-China border, which were taken by the Arirang 3A’s thermal infrared camera. 
  
It also released images of regions and structures in Seoul and Dubai, which were taken by a high-resolution optical camera that can distinguish any object larger than 55 centimeters on the surface of the Earth.
 
The Arirang 3A, South Korea’s infrared satellite, was launched in Russia on March 26, and is now orbiting 528 kilometers above the Earth. 
 
The institute said that the images from the Arirang 3A will be used to monitor natural disasters and detect changes in the climate and the environment after the final calibration and validation of the satellite is completed by September.