- published: 14 Jun 2016
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Arirang-1 or Arirang I is an unmanned artificial satellite created by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute and launched by a US rocket on December 21, 1999. This was the first satellite built primarily by South Korean engineers, although previous foreign-built satellites had been launched by Korean companies. It carries a surveillance camera able to distinguish objects with a diameter of 6.6 meters. It takes its name from the popular Korean folk song Arirang.
The satellite was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on a Taurus rocket. It had been built in Daedeok Science Town in Daejeon, South Korea. The parts were shipped in three stages from Korea to California by First Express International, a Korean shipping firm.
The Arirang-1 was succeeded by the Arirang-2 in 2006. Additional satellites in the series are planned.
On January 6, 2008, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute reported that they had lost contact with the satellite. It is suspected to have had a malfunction that has affected power generation.
"Arirang" is a Korean folk song, sometimes considered the unofficial national anthem of Korea. Arirang is an ancient native Korean word with no direct modern meaning.
Many variations of the song exist. They can be grouped into classes based on the lyrics, when the refrain is sung, the nature of the refrain, the overall melody, and so on. Titles of different versions of the song are usually prefixed by their place of origin or some other kind of signifier.
The original form of Arirang is Jeongseon Arirang, which has been sung for more than 600 years. However, the most famous version of Arirang is that of Seoul. It is the so-called Bonjo Arirang, although it is not actually "standard" (bonjo: 본조; 本調). This version is usually simply called Arirang, and is of relatively recent origin. It was first made popular by its use as the theme song of the influential early feature film Arirang (1926). This version of the song is also called Sin Arirang (Shin; "new") or Gyeonggi Arirang, after its provenance, Seoul, which was formerly part of Gyeonggi Province. (The titles Bonjo Arirang and Sin Arirang are also sometimes applied to other versions of the song.)