An artist's rendering of the micro-satellite constellation in flight. [Ministry of Science and ICT]
An artist's rendering of the micro-satellite constellation in flight. [Ministry of Science and ICT]

South Korea's domestically developed mass-production micro-satellites are set to launch into space aboard Nuri, the country's homegrown launch vehicle.

Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) announced Thursday that it completed development of micro-cluster satellites Nos. 2 through 6 — the first mass-production batch of the country's first cluster-type micro-satellite system — in partnership with KAIST, and held a pre-shipment review meeting.

The micro-satellite cluster system development project produces sub-100-kilogram Earth-observation satellites built by KAIST's Satellite Technology Research Center with KASA support, aimed at high-frequency precision surveillance of the Korean Peninsula and surrounding waters and rapid response to national security threats and natural disasters. KAIST led the effort and co-developed the satellite systems with Satrec Initiative, while the Korea Aerospace Research Institute developed the ground systems, calibration and verification systems, and application systems. Each satellite carries an electro-optical camera capable of capturing images from low Earth orbit at a resolution of 1 meter in black-and-white and 4 meters in color.

At the meeting, officials conducted a comprehensive review of the manufacturing and environmental test results for all five first-batch production satellites, their compatibility for integration with Nuri, launch readiness, and the status of ground station and initial operations preparations, and gave final confirmation that the satellites are ready for launch.

Micro-cluster satellites Nos. 2 through 6 are South Korea's first mass-production Earth-observation satellites, built using low-cost components in line with the New Space era. Their design incorporated lessons learned from operating No. 1 — a prototype launched in April 2024 — and a verification satellite launched in January, with improvements to cluster operation technology and propulsion performance reflected in the manufacturing, assembly and environmental testing of the production units.

The Nuri rocket lifts off. [Korea Aerospace Research Institute]
The Nuri rocket lifts off. [Korea Aerospace Research Institute]

Cluster satellites Nos. 2 through 6 are scheduled to be loaded onto Nuri's fifth flight and launched from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, in the second half of this year. After launch, the satellites will undergo initial communication checks, status inspections, payload functional tests and image calibration before entering cluster operations. Once the full 10-satellite constellation is in place by 2027, it will photograph the Korean Peninsula more than three times a day and revisit the same point within 24 hours, enabling significantly faster acquisition of imagery needed for national security and disaster response.

Han Jae-heung, director of KAIST's Satellite Technology Research Center, said the pre-shipment review meeting was significant because it marked the completion of preparations to mass-produce five satellites of identical design and launch and operate them simultaneously. "We will carry out the Nuri launch, initial operations and constellation deployment without a hitch," he said.

Kim Jin-hee, head of KASA's satellite division, said the milestone was meaningful because it marked South Korea's transition from building individual satellites to mass production and constellation operations. "We will continue to strengthen the competitiveness and self-reliance of South Korea's space industry by linking the mass production of domestic satellites with the use of domestic launch vehicles," Kim said.


nbgkoo@heraldcorp.com