On the 4th, Contec (CEO and President Lee Seong-hee), a space ground station service and satellite imagery specialist company, announced that it successfully established initial communication through Contec’s global ground stations following the successful launch of a high-resolution Earth observation satellite (small SAR satellite) independently developed by Hanwha Systems (CEO Eo Seong-cheol).
The first domestically developed, privately-led commercial Earth observation satellite was launched over the southern sea of Jeju Island with government support. This case, where a private company manufactured, launched, and operated the satellite, marks a significant milestone in the domestic space technology sector for the first time.
Contec is closely collaborating with Hanwha Systems to continuously support communication with the satellite through overseas ground stations in South Africa, Australia, and Qatar, as well as domestic ground stations in Yongin (Hanwha Systems’ own ground station) and Jeju.
Currently, Contec is a space ground station service specialist company with 10 ground stations worldwide, and plans to expand to 15 ground stations next year to enhance its ground station service capabilities and convenience.
Furthermore, Contec plans to continuously strengthen differentiated business models in the downstream sector through vertical integration of GSaaS (Ground Station as a Service) network solutions and satellite data processing/analysis technologies.
Through a network of ground stations installed worldwide, Contec has already supported domestic and international space missions such as the Nuri rocket launch mission, and carried out various launch support activities including ground station interoperability tests for Hanwha Systems’ SAR satellite launch. This is the first case of successful communication using only domestic companies’ ground stations without relying on overseas companies’ ground stations.
Meanwhile, the small SAR satellite launched by Hanwha Systems this time has an integrated structure combining the payload, main body, and solar panels, unlike general satellites. It is designed to integrate multiple electronic components into one unit to maximize the number of payloads on the launch vehicle, significantly reducing launch costs with an efficient structure.
The SAR radar onboard this satellite is a radar system that sequentially emits radar waves to the ground and ocean from orbit, then synthesizes the slight time differences of the radar waves reflected from curved surfaces in order of arrival to create images. Using SAR technology, it can collect high-resolution images during day and night as well as in adverse weather conditions, making it useful for various applications.
Eo Seong-cheol, CEO of Hanwha Systems, stated, “It is truly gratifying that space industry technologies developed and accumulated with the public’s taxes can be utilized for the convenience and safety of the people through the challenges of private companies.” He added, “Hanwha Systems will expand its business areas from privately-led satellite development, manufacturing, launch, control, to services, and grow as a leading K-space industry satellite company.”
Lee Seong-hee, CEO of Contec, expressed pride in the successful launch of the first purely domestically developed commercial Earth observation satellite and the first successful satellite communication through a commercial ground station in Korea achieved through cooperation with Hanwha Systems. He said, “Based on technological innovation and commercial potential, we will continue to strive to help Korea grow into a global hub of the space industry.”
He added, “This launch demonstrates that domestic private companies can create viable business models in the international space market, raising expectations for the future of Korea’s K-Space industry.”
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