Russian space vehicle Dnepr is set to carry KOMPSAT-3A, a South Korean scientific satellite, into space on March 26 as part of Seoul's mission to monitor the Earth's surface.

      The KOMPSAT-3A satellite will be launched from the Yasny space center, which is placed in Russia's Orenburg Region. After its launch the satellite is expected to establish contact with the South Korean space center within six hours.

      South Korean authorities hope the satellite will become an important part of the country's mission to examine the Earth's surface. The satellite "will complement the country's three other multipurpose satellites, including the KOMSAT-5," to provide 24-hour observation, Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning reported.

      Russia has already placed the Korean satellite into orbit. In 2013 Dnepr delivered into space KOMPSAT-5, the first South Korean satellite equipped with Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR).