The Korea AeroSpace Administration and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) announced that they have developed the Arirang 6 satellite (Multipurpose Practical Satellite 6), an all-weather Earth observation satellite equipped with world-class sub-meter imaging radar (SAR) using domestic technology, and held a Pre-Shipping Review (PSR) on the 3rd.
Arirang 6 is a follow-up satellite to Arirang 5 and is an all-weather SAR satellite capable of capturing images even in challenging weather conditions, such as at night or during inclement weather, where optical observation satellites have limitations. It is also a domestically developed low-earth orbit practical satellite backed by the supporting agency, the Korea AeroSpace Administration.
The Arirang 6 project commenced in December 2012, and the detailed design was completed in February 2018. Subsequently, in August 2022, assembly of the satellite body and space environment tests were completed, and the satellite has been switched to storage mode, awaiting launch. Although the launch was initially scheduled for the 4th quarter of this year, delays in the development of a satellite by the Italian Space Agency, which is to be carried by Vega-C, have pushed back the Arirang 6 launch as well.
At the Pre-Shipping Review held on the 3rd, over 100 people, including members of the dedicated evaluation team, experts in satellite development, officials from relevant ministries, and researchers involved in satellite development, reviewed the assembly and test results of the satellite, the status of the satellite, launch preparations, ground station preparations, and the readiness of initial operations.
Arirang 6 is scheduled to be launched next year from the Guiana Space Centre by the Vega-C launch vehicle of Arianespace, and after arriving in its target orbit, it will undergo initial operations and calibration before officially commencing satellite operations.
Jeon Hyung-yeol, director of the KARI Satellite Space Exploration Institute, noted that "the launch of Arirang 6 shows that Korea has secured the technological capability to independently develop a world-class sub-meter SAR satellite that surpasses the performance of the existing Arirang 5 (1-meter class)," and described it as "a turning point for enhancing space sovereignty and increasing competitiveness in space."
Kim Jin-hee, head of the Satellite Division at the Korea AeroSpace Administration, added, "To provide higher-quality satellite services to the public, we will actively promote the advancement of satellite technology and the development of the satellite industry ecosystem in the future."