[LAB Search] Sejong University CubeSat... First Step Toward Space Navigation and Marine Monitoring

CubeSat 'SPIRONE' Operates Stably in Space

The successful and stable operation of a university-developed CubeSat in space is being seen as a significant first step toward developing low Earth orbit (LEO) navigation signal transmission technology and marine plastic detection technology at the university level.

Professor Oh-Jong Kim (center front) and his research team at Sejong University, who developed the CubeSat 'Spiralon,' are taking a photo. Sejong University

On December 19, Sejong University announced that, following the successful launch of the Korean launch vehicle Nuri (KSLV-II) at the Naro Space Center, the CubeSat 'SPIRONE' onboard Nuri was operating stably from the initial stage. SPIRONE has successfully entered a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of approximately 600 kilometers and is continuously transmitting signals in the UHF band to the satellite ground station located on the rooftop of Chungmu Hall at Sejong University in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul.

SPIRONE is a 2U-class CubeSat independently developed by 11 student researchers, including Kwon Soonhan and Park Ayeon, under the supervision of Professor Oh-Jong Kim from the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Sejong University. The team handled the design, assembly, and testing from 2022 to this year. The standard size of 1U refers to a cube with each side measuring 10 centimeters. This case is highly regarded because the university independently developed and launched a demonstration satellite for space validation.

SPIRONE was created to demonstrate navigation signal transmission technology. The research team installed a self-developed 2.4GHz S-band transmission module on SPIRONE and plans to verify the stability and applicability of the technology by transmitting navigation signals from space. Through this, they aim to establish a Korean low Earth orbit navigation system.

SPIRONE is also equipped to develop technology for detecting marine plastics using its LWIR and SWIR infrared cameras. The LWIR camera detects temperature differences between plastics and the sea surface, while the SWIR camera detects the distribution of plastics on the ocean by identifying differences in reflectance by material. As observation data is accumulated from both cameras on SPIRONE, it will be possible to develop algorithms to identify marine plastic garbage patches.

After successfully receiving one-way transmission signals from SPIRONE to the ground station, the research team has also begun procedures for two-way communication. Once two-way communication is established, the team will proceed with activating payloads, capturing images, and analyzing navigation signals as part of its main mission. The data collected during the mission period, which is expected to last over a year, will be utilized in various fields such as small satellite technology education, marine environment monitoring research, and next-generation navigation technology development.

Building on the achievements of SPIRONE’s development, the research team plans to conduct further research on satellite navigation systems applicable to the Moon, in connection with the 'Future Space Navigation and Satellite Technology Research Center' project led by the Korea Aerospace Administration.

Professor Kim stated, "SPIRONE is an independent space laboratory developed by Sejong University and marks the starting point for future space technology development. I look forward to the moment when the technology we have prepared with student researchers is validated in space."