Falcon 9 launches the Koreasat-6A mission to orbit from Florida on Nov. 11. Photo: SpaceX

SpaceX launched the Koreasat-6A satellite for Korean satellite operator KT SAT on Monday. Koreasat-6A will deliver both broadcast and fixed satellite services to South Korea. 

A Falcon 9 rocket launched the satellite at 12:22 p.m. EST on Monday from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The satellite was deployed 34 minutes into the mission. 

Koreasat-6A will replace the current Koreasat-6 satellite positioned at 116 degrees East in Geostationary Orbit (GEO). Koreasat-6 launched in 2010. The new satellite has six broadcast transponders and 20 fixed satellite service (FSS) transponders, to cover South Korea with broadcast and FSS service.

Thales Alenia Space built the satellite based on the Spacebus 4000B2 platform under a deal announced in 2022. 

KT SAT is a subsidiary of Korean telecommunications company KT Group. With this launch, KT SAT will have five satellites in GEO. The company provides satellite services over Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. 

Beyond GEO, KT SAT is pursuing a strategy to be a multi-orbit satellite provider through partnerships with Non-Geostationary (NGSO) constellations. The company is an investor in Mangata Networks and has an MoU with Rivada Space Networks as well.