Korea Featured Space Programs

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https://twitter.com/i/web/status/2048455484253090226

This article discusses the development and performance testing of Hanwha’s Inter Satellite Link (ISL) equipment.

韓 우주 인터넷 시대 ‘성큼’… 한화시스템, 위성간 레이저 통신기술 국내 첫 확보 | 한화그룹

≫ 한화시스템이 광주과학기술원 고등광기술연구소에서 ISL 중거리 통신 시험을 수행하고 있는 모습 한화시스템이 국내 기업 최초로 저궤도 위성용 ISL(Inter Satellite Link·위성간 레이저 통신) 장비 개발 및 성능시험에 성공하며 대한민국 ‘우주 인터넷’ 시대 실현에 한 걸음

www.hanwha.co.kr

 

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https://twitter.com/i/web/status/2050903025070596313

The Compact Advanced Satellite 500-2 has finally been launched into space. It was originally scheduled to launch from Russia in 2022, but the launch was delayed due to Russia’s damn invasion of Ukraine. While the CAS500-2 was delayed due to a change in the launch vehicle, the CAS500-3 was mounted on the Nuri rocket last year and was launched into space first.

In any case, the Compact Advanced Satellite 500 Series is a 500-kg-class low-Earth orbit Earth observation satellite developed by KARI. It features a standardized platform, and the project’s objective is to achieve technological self-reliance by increasing the domestic production rate of key components.

The CAS500-1 and CAS500-2 are used for land management and disaster response, while the CAS500-3 is used for space science and technology verification, the CAS500-4 for monitoring forest resources and land cover changes, and the CAS500-5 for monitoring water resources.

Before-and-after comparison images of a wildfire-affected area captured by CAS500-1

Before-and-after comparison images of the landslide-affected area captured by CAS500-1

Images captured with the CAS500-1 can be viewed at https://map.ngii.go.kr/ms/map/nlipCASImgMap.do.

 

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국내 최장 64km 레이저 광통신 성공…'우주 데이터 고속도로'시대 연다

우주 광통신 전문 스타트업 스페이스빔이 국내 최장 거리 지상 레이저 광통신 실증에 성공했다고 8일 밝혔다. 스페이스빔은 6일 경상북도 일대에서 수신부를 기준으로 각각 17km, 43km, 64km 떨어진 각 송신부와

n.news.naver.com

Spacebeam, a startup specializing in space optical communications, announced on the 8th that it has successfully demonstrated domestic record-breaking long-distance terrestrial laser optical communication.

On the 6th, Spacebeam successfully conducted long-distance laser optical communication tests in the Gyeongsangbuk-do region, linking a receiver to transmitters located 17km, 43km, and 64km away.

In particular, the company proved its world-class technical prowess by successfully implementing real-time video streaming at a speed of approximately 1Gbps for about one minute over the maximum distance of 64km.

The received signal strength measured during the experiment was an average of -20dBm at 64km, a result that demonstrates the ability to maintain stable communication quality even in long-distance environments. By moving beyond simple data transmission to successful real-time video streaming, the company has confirmed the potential for practical commercialization.

Terrestrial-based laser optical communication is notoriously difficult to implement due to environmental variables such as atmospheric turbulence, fine dust, air currents, and wind. Since atmospheric distortion is more severe closer to the earth's surface, establishing an optical link over a 64km terrestrial stretch is considered much more difficult—in terms of overcoming atmospheric effects—than communication between space and the ground.

Spacebeam applied precision control technology accumulated through years of astronomical observation experience to this experiment. The company overcame the limitations of PAT (Pointing, Acquisition, and Tracking) technology—long considered the biggest challenge in long-distance wireless optical communication—with its proprietary precision control solution. Furthermore, Spacebeam is accelerating the development of AO (Adaptive Optics) technology, which corrects optical signal distortion caused by atmospheric turbulence in real time.

Industry experts predict that the volume of data produced daily by satellites in Earth's orbit will eventually reach approximately 10,000 petabytes (PB). Consequently, global space powers and private enterprises are entering a fierce competition to secure space data transmission infrastructure. Against this backdrop, Spacebeam’s achievement is significant as it goes beyond a simple technical demonstration to suggest the feasibility of building a "K-Space Data Highway."

 

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The fourth launch of GYUB has been postponed indefinitely because the Palau Tracking Station was damaged by a typhoon.

The new launch date will be announced once the status of facility repairs has been assessed.

GYUB's launch schedule has been resumed. It has been announced that the launch is now set for May 20. It seems the satellite tracking station in Palau has resumed operations.

 

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The launch schedule for GYUB has been changed to June 1. I suspect that the launch couldn't take place at sea at the time due to rain. I hope the weather is good for the launch that day.

 

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At the 175th Defense Project Promotion Committee meeting on the 22nd, DAPA approved the basic system development plan for the ANASIS-III program. A new military communication satellite is required as the current ANASIS-II satellite is approaching the end of its lifespan. The project is scheduled to run through 2032, with a total budget of approximately 1.27 trillion won.

 

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https://twitter.com/i/web/status/2063890233679360044

The COMS-1 mission has officially ended. COMS-1 was South Korea’s first geostationary satellite and carried out missions such as meteorological and oceanographic observation, as well as demonstrations of Ka-band communications.

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GYUB's launch has been postponed. The weather just isn't cooperating.

 

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HANBIT-Nano First Launch Investigation Officially Concluded by CENIPA │ Follow-up Launch Preparations Underway
The Aeronautical Accident Investigation and Prevention Center (CENIPA) of the Brazilian Air Force has officially released its final investigation report on SPACEWARD, the first commercial launch mission of HANBIT-Nano.
The report is an official document that includes the analysis of the cause of the mission's early termination, recurrence prevention measures, and the implementation status of corrective actions following the launch conducted at the Alcântara Space Center in Brazil in December 2025. It signifies that the results of the joint technical investigation carried out by CENIPA and INNOSPACE have received final approval from the Brazilian Air Force(Força Aérea Brasileira).
With the official investigation process now concluded, preparations for the HANBIT-Nano follow-up launch scheduled for the third quarter of this year are moving forward in earnest.

Based on the investigation findings, comprehensive verification activities are underway, including component upgrades, assembly process improvements, and enhancements to the quality management system. Ground hot-fire testing and the Korea AeroSpace Administration (우주항공청 KASA) launch license review are currently in progress, while a Stage Qualification Test using the improved Qualification Model (QM) is planned to further verify the vehicle's performance and reliability.
INNOSPACE will continue its rigorous verification and preparation efforts to deliver safer and more reliable launch services, while advancing toward HANBIT-Nano's next mission.

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INNOSPACE’s independently developed “Bipropellant Regenerative Cooling Methane Engine Combustor Technology” has been officially designated as a 2026 New Space Technology by the Korea AeroSpace Administration (우주항공청 KASA).
This newly designated technology is an advanced regenerative cooling system that utilizes both liquid methane and liquid oxygen, enabling enhanced cooling efficiency while reducing propulsion system weight.

In particular, INNOSPACE applied its in-house metal additive manufacturing (3D printing) technology to create complex cooling channels, increasing engine design flexibility and overall performance.
In addition, the methane engine incorporating this technology successfully achieved a 420-second hot-fire test, the longest single-duration combustion test of a domestically developed methane engine combustor in Korea, demonstrating its durability and robustness.

This designation further highlights the technology’s significance, with its innovation, advancement, and commercial potential officially recognized at the national level.
Looking ahead, INNOSPACE plans to apply this technology to the methane engine for the kick stage of HANBIT-Micro and expand its use across a wide range of next-generation space propulsion systems, including reusable launch vehicles, orbital transfer vehicles for small satellites, and space exploration propulsion systems.

 

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CAS500-4 Next-Generation Satellite Achieves First Contact and Target Orbit

Korea Aerospace Administration confirms successful Falcon 9 launch and 888 km sun-synchronous orbit insertion for 500 kg-class Earth observation satellite

www.dongascience.com

CAS500-4 Next-Generation Satellite Achieves First Contact and Target Orbit​

The CAS500-4 next-generation medium-size satellite (hereafter CAS500-4), which will be used in public sectors such as agriculture and forestry management, disaster response, and climate change analysis, has successfully established its first communication with a ground station and settled into orbit.


The Korea Aerospace Administration, Rural Development Administration, and Korea Forest Service announced that CAS500-4, launched at 4:12 p.m. (Korea Standard Time) on July 7 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA, successfully made first contact with the Svalbard ground station in Norway at 7:05 p.m.


CAS500-4 separated normally from the launch vehicle at an altitude of about 888 km at 6:42 p.m., 2 hours and 30 minutes after liftoff, and successfully entered its target sun-synchronous orbit.


CAS500-4 is a medium-size Earth observation satellite developed under the leadership of Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), based on the 500 kg-class standard platform technology secured in the first phase CAS500 program. More than 75% of the spacecraft bus and key payload components have been domestically produced.


It is equipped with a wide-area observation camera developed using core domestic technologies. The satellite has a mass of about 514 kg and a mission lifespan of five years. With a spatial resolution of around 5 m and an observation swath wider than 120 km, it can image the entire country on a three-day cycle. By leveraging its wide swath, the satellite can capture the entire Korean Peninsula in just two to three passes.


CAS500-4 will undergo about four months of initial operations and in-orbit testing, and will begin full-scale missions in the first half of 2027.


Lee Seung-don, Administrator of the Rural Development Administration, said, “We are ushering in an era of monitoring agriculture from the sky,” adding, “By combining satellite imagery with artificial intelligence (AI), we will further advance crop yield forecasting and responses to agricultural disasters, and realize digital agriculture that farmers can tangibly experience in the field.”


Park Eun-sik, Korea Forest Service Commissioner, stated, “Using CAS500-4, we will rapidly and accurately monitor forests, proactively respond to forest disasters such as wildfires and landslides, and realize scientific forest management amid the climate crisis.”


Oh Tae-seok, Administrator of the Korea Aerospace Administration, said, “By independently securing data and image information needed for agriculture, forestry, climate, and disaster response, we have significantly strengthened the competitiveness of private-led satellite development and the nation’s satellite information utilization capabilities,” adding, “We will identify domestic and overseas satellite launch demand to further expand the use of Korea’s launch vehicles.”