Hanwha Systems joins Korea's national space debris tracking system

Hanwha Systems has entered into a contract with the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) to participate in the development of Korea's national space debris tracking system. This agreement, signed on September 9, positions Hanwha Systems as a private-sector developer for the Korean Space Situational Awareness system (K-SSA), a project overseen by the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), the nation's space agency.

Space situational awareness entails monitoring and evaluating the positioning and orbital paths of objects in space to identify and anticipate risks, including collisions or objects descending to Earth. Hanwha Systems highlighted the surge in satellite numbers in low Earth orbit over recent years, intensifying the risk of spacecraft collisions with both artificial and natural entities orbiting the Earth, such as defunct satellites, debris, and meteoroids.

This development underscores the critical need for safeguarding national space assets. Within the framework of this project, KASI will function as the primary research institute, defining the mission, operational concept, and system specifications for the K-SSA system.