The Korea Aerospace Research Institute, or KARI, said Friday that Korea has launched its ninth satellite from a launch pad in northern Russia.

The multi-purpose satellite, named Arirang 2, is expected to help Korea make timely updates on geographical changes and assist in the search for natural resources.

At 4:10 p.m. on Friday, the artificial satellite was sent into an orbit of six hundred-85 kilometers above the Earth on a Russian booster named Rockot that lifted off from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, about eight hundred kilometers northeast of Moscow.

Russia will confirm the success of the launch about two hours after takeoff.

The KARI said the satellite will make its first contact around 11 p.m with a ground control station in Daejeon.

However, the institute added the first contact could be delay by a day or two, depending on technical issues.

Arirang 2 is expected to send high-resolution pictures of the Earth’s surface after a two-month test.