S. Korea completes development of its first small satellite constellation

South Korea has finalized the development of its inaugural small satellite constellation, which is scheduled to be launched atop a Nuri rocket in October, according to the Korea Aerospace Agency (KASA). The constellation will consist of a series of lightweight satellites designed for high-precision observation of the Korean Peninsula and surrounding waters, the agency reported.

Each satellite will be equipped with an electro-optical camera capable of capturing images with a spatial resolution ranging from 1 meter to 4 meters, KASA stated. Notably, the five satellites mark South Korea's first mass-produced earth observation satellites utilizing commercially available components. The country previously launched a prototype of such a satellite in April 2024.

KASA emphasized that these satellites underscore the nation's steadily improving satellite manufacturing capabilities and pledged to bolster South Korea's competitiveness within the global space industrial sector.