Joint team from Suncheon Wangun Middle School, Gwangyang Jechul Middle School and Yeosu Jinseong Middle School wins with 'optical telemetry design' proposal
Suncheon city has held an idea contest for observation concepts tied to Suncheon SAT, a satellite set to fly aboard the sixth launch of Nuri, South Korea's homegrown space launch vehicle, scheduled for 2027, and announced the winning entry.
Organized by the city of Suncheon, the contest sought design ideas for a secondary payload that would allow observers at the Suncheonman Wetland Observatory to track the satellite's position and monitor its status. Eight teams were recognized in total — one grand prize winner, two excellence award recipients and five encouragement award winners.
The grand prize went to Team Lighthouse — a joint team from Suncheon Wangun Middle School, Gwangyang Jechul Middle School and Yeosu Jinseong Middle School — for their proposal titled "optical telemetry design."
The team earned high marks for proposing a method to visually confirm the satellite's signals and operational status from the Suncheonman Wetland Observatory.
As part of their prize, the winning team will have the opportunity to participate directly in the satellite development process as Suncheon SAT is built.
The Suncheon SAT development and demonstration project was selected last December in a competition for payloads to be carried on the sixth Nuri launch. Since April, Suncheon city, the Jeonnam Technopark Foundation, Suncheon University and Chosun University have been actively advancing the project.
Last month, the city selected two companies — Paru Electronics and Sejin Engineering — as component developers. Parts developed by each firm will be incorporated into Suncheon SAT and tested to verify their performance in the space environment.
Suncheon Mayor Son Hun-mo said the city plans to "build a foundation for nurturing space talent centered on hands-on experience, going beyond simply having local students view space as a subject for education or field trips, and instead having them participate directly in the actual satellite development and design process."
parkds@heraldcorp.com
