[Report] 'We Are the Satellites'... Hanwha Satellite Business Site

Daejeon Setrec Eye Produces World-Class Optical Satellites
Yongin Hanwha Systems Manufactures Satellites Based on Radar Technology and Operates Control Center
Forms Space Value Chain with Launch Vehicle Specialist Hanwha Aero Systems

On the morning of the 21st, at Setrec Eye's Munji Research Center in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, researchers dressed in dustproof suits were assembling the world's highest-performance earth observation optical satellite capable of distinguishing objects as small as 30 cm on the ground. It takes about three years of effort to create an ultra-precise optical satellite, a capability secured only by Europe, the United States, Israel, and China. The satellite being assembled that day is scheduled to be launched into space aboard a SpaceX rocket in March next year.

Setrec Eye researchers are assembling the 'SpaceEye-T' satellite. The front part visible is the satellite body, and in the back, there is a large lens to be attached to the satellite.

The 'SpaceEye-T' that the researchers were assembling that day is Setrec Eye's next-generation satellite. Compared to previously manufactured satellites, it is larger and significantly improved in performance, but its large size makes the manufacturing process challenging. It weighs as much as 700 kg.

The satellite is completed by separately manufacturing a large cylindrical lens and the main body, which are then combined. The main body is equipped with a satellite navigation system for position verification and a star tracker to assist attitude control. These devices are essential for the satellite's normal operation and position correction.

Once assembled, the satellite is moved to a nearby testing facility for precise adjustments for optical imaging. A fan is running in the state-of-the-art testing facility. Kim Dohyung, head of business development at Setrec Eye, explained, "No matter how advanced the testing facility is, it is sensitive to temperature, so we have to run a fan to control the temperature."

Setrec Eye researchers are developing the ultra-small satellite 'SpaceEye-M'.

Kim explained that only countries such as the United States, the European Union (EU), Israel, and China possess commercial satellites with this level of resolution worldwide.

Setrec Eye received investment from Hanwha Group for the development of this satellite. It was a transformation for a leap forward. The recently completed Munji Research Center, where the satellite is being assembled, has begun to emerge as the mecca of Korea's satellite industry.

At the Munji Research Center, the first prototype of the 100 kg-class ultra-small earth observation satellite 'SpaceEye-M,' being developed in collaboration with KAIST, was also being assembled. From the second unit onward, this satellite will be launched via Nuri rocket, for which Hanwha Aerospace is responsible for system integration.

Setrec Eye has expanded beyond satellite manufacturing into the high value-added field of image analysis. Kim said, "Selling photos taken by satellites is far more profitable than manufacturing satellites," and explained plans to supply high-resolution earth observation images and AI-based satellite image analysis solutions domestically and internationally through subsidiaries SIIS and SIA.

Kim Ieul, CEO of Setrec Eye, stated, "Based on years of accumulated capabilities, we will supply optimal satellite systems to build a space business value chain within Hanwha Group and contribute to the industrialization of the space sector both domestically and abroad."

Turning Advanced Radar Technology into Satellites

Hanwha Group also has another satellite manufacturer: Hanwha Systems. Hanwha Systems, a military radar specialist, is challenging the development of small synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites based on radar technology.

Workers are conducting precise measurements in the satellite cleanroom of Hanwha Systems.

The Hanwha Systems Yongin Integrated Research Center, visited on the afternoon of the 21st, is located halfway up a mountain, seemingly to avoid public attention. Here, Hanwha Systems manufactures satellites and controls satellites orbiting in space.

In the clean room here, payloads including electro-optical (EO), infrared (IR), and synthetic aperture radar (SAR), known as the "eyes of the satellite," were being manufactured. Compared to Setrec Eye, the clean room is smaller, but it is a state-of-the-art facility with vibration isolation design minimizing air flow and floor vibrations to prevent manufacturing process errors.

In this clean room, assembly and alignment of cameras for artificial satellites were in full swing.

The small SAR earth observation satellite, which was successfully launched last December from Jeju waters aboard a solid-fuel space launch vehicle, was also manufactured here.

Hanwha Systems launching a small SAR satellite into space on December 4 last year, off the southern coast of Jeju Island

Hanwha Systems has a control center to manage SAR satellites and process the high-capacity images transmitted by the satellites. The researchers' eyes, watching satellite information and flight paths displayed on walls filled with screens, were sharp. They work in shifts day and night, focusing on the times when communication with the satellites is possible.

Lee Kwangyeol, Executive Director of Hanwha Systems Aerospace Division, explained, "Hanwha Systems focuses on SAR satellites based on radar technology. Our control center is the largest among control rooms owned by private companies."

He added, "We will make every effort to prepare for space internet services and earth observation services." Hanwha Systems is also building the Jeju Space Center. Lee said, "Once the Jeju Space Center is completed, we will accelerate satellite manufacturing business in earnest." The Jeju Space Center aims to produce 4 satellites per month, with a maximum of 8. Lee confidently stated that satellites with 0.1 m-class resolution could be developed within a few years.