[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunseok Yoo] Korean Air announced on the 31st that it will officially begin the development project for the Korean Positioning System (KPS) satellite structure, led by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI).
On the 26th, Korean Air held its first meeting with KARI officials regarding the development project of the KPS satellite No. 1 structure. In this meeting, the overall project plan was presented, including the design and manufacturing methods of the KPS satellite structure, available personnel, facilities, equipment, and product assurance, along with proposals for business cooperation with KARI.
To ensure the successful development of the KPS satellite structure, Korean Air plans to intensively deploy satellite structure development technology, expert personnel, and world-class aerospace composite manufacturing and assembly facilities that it has secured over the past 20 years through projects such as the geostationary Chollian satellite No. 1 and multipurpose practical satellites No. 3 and No. 5.
KPS aims to establish a high-precision, high-reliability satellite navigation system by deploying a total of eight satellites in geostationary orbit by 2035, providing centimeter-level positioning information over the Korean Peninsula and surrounding areas. During peacetime, it will be compatible with the U.S. commercial GPS to provide high-quality services, and even in situations where GPS usage is restricted, it will reliably provide satellite navigation information to the Korean Peninsula region.
Korean Air has been participating in the space business since 2021, starting with the development of core components such as common bulkhead propellant tanks for small launch vehicles and 3-ton engines. Collaborating with Boeing and Airbus, it has steadily advanced technologies related to satellite structure development, including composite sandwich panel manufacturing and structural assembly.
In particular, Korean Air’s quality standards are recognized even by aerospace advanced countries. This technology and capability are evaluated to have positively influenced the successful acquisition of the KPS satellite structure project. Furthermore, starting with the development of the KPS satellite No. 1 structure in 2025, Korean Air plans to focus its entire organizational capabilities on successfully executing the project, including development orders and deliveries up to the eighth KPS satellite by 2035.
Korean Air also plans to actively participate in the development of lunar lander satellites in the future, aiming to lead the private space industry in the new space era based on its diverse satellite development technologies and experience.
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