South Korean scientists succeeded in communicating with the country's first scientific research satellite late Monday night, two days after it was first sent into orbit.

Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) said that successful contact with the ST Sat-1 (Science and Technology Satellite 1) had been made at 11:24 p.m., local time, as it was in orbit over the Korean Peninsula.

The ground control center had previously attempted and failed 10 times to make contact with the satellite.

Researchers said that the control center got to know the satellite's exact position after receiving information from Britain's University of Surrey through the university's own satellite.

The 120-kilogram ST Sat-1 is designed to do scientific research and experiments at an altitude of 690 km for the next three years.

The Space Research Center aims to launch the country's second scientific research satellite on board a Korean rocket in 2005.