A New Milestone in Space Development Achieved by SMEs' Independent Technology
A new milestone in space development has been set as a domestically developed, ultra-small satellite based entirely on Korean technology by a local small and medium-sized enterprise has successfully entered low Earth orbit.
On June 25, CosmoWorks, a Korean satellite specialist company, announced that its independently developed 3U-class (with 1U measuring 10 cm on each side) CubeSat 'JACK-001' had succeeded in making its first radio contact after being launched into space.
JACK-001 was placed into low Earth orbit at 6:25 a.m. on June 24 (Korea Standard Time) aboard SpaceX's Transporter-14 rocket. On the same day, at 12:45 p.m., the satellite's beacon signal was successfully received and decoded at the Justek ground station in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, confirming the satellite's status information.
JACK-001 is an ultra-small satellite developed through the collaboration of three small and medium-sized enterprises, based entirely on domestic technology: CosmoWorks provided satellite system operation technology, Justek contributed mechanical design and attitude control technology, and Ostec supplied high-precision optical telescope technology.
From manufacturing and testing to operation, the entire process was carried out directly by small and medium-sized enterprises, making it a notable example of achieving independent technological capability and a high degree of technological internalization.
Going forward, JACK-001 will undertake various missions such as Earth observation imaging, star photography, and attitude control system checks to verify its performance.
CosmoWorks plans to build an Earth observation satellite constellation, starting with JACK-001 and expanding to 20 units in the first phase, 50 units in the second phase, and 100 units in the third phase. Based on this achievement, the company aims to accelerate efforts to secure global competitiveness for domestically produced satellite platforms.
The JACK series marks the first case in which all aspects, from satellite hardware and software to ground station operation, have been developed domestically. It is expected to serve as an important starting point for an era of space technology self-reliance led by small and medium-sized enterprises.
Kim Yongil, CEO of Justek, said, "Our goal is to enable South Korea to obtain images of any desired location at any desired time within 30 minutes," adding, "It is highly significant that a network of satellites developed with independent technology by domestic small and medium-sized enterprises can now be established in low Earth orbit."
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