Pre-Ship Review (PSR) Meeting Held for Arirang 6 (KOMPSAT-6)
The Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA, Administrator Yoon Youngbin) and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI, President Lee Sangchul), announced the completion of the development of Arirang 6 (Korean Multi-purpose Practical Satellite 6, KOMPSAT-6), an all-weather Earth observation satellite equipped with world-class sub-meter Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)*. A Pre-Ship Review (PSR) meeting was held on September 3, during which the satellite’s status and readiness were thoroughly reviewed before shipment.
* The SAR payload uses electromagnetic waves to observe the Earth's surface at high resolution, regardless of weather conditions or time, utilizing microwave remote sensing technology.
Arirang 6, the successor to Arirang 5, is an all-weather SAR satellite capable of imaging in challenging weather conditions, such as at night or during adverse weather, where optical observation satellites face limitations. Developed independently in Korea with support from the KASA, it is a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite designed to meet the ongoing national demand for radar imagery in areas such as public safety, disaster and environmental monitoring, and resource management.
The Arirang 6 project, which began in December 2012, completed its detailed design in February 2018. The satellite's final assembly and space environmental testing were finished in August 2022, and it has now been switched to storage mode, awaiting launch.
At the PSR meeting, over 100 participants, including the evaluation team, satellite development experts, officials from relevant ministries, and researchers involved in satellite development, conducted a thorough review of the satellite assembly and testing results, satellite condition checks, launch readiness, ground station preparations, and the status of initial operations.
Arirang 6 is scheduled to be launched next year from the Guiana Space Centre aboard the Vega-C* launch vehicle operated by Arianespace. After reaching its target orbit, the satellite will undergo initial operations and calibration before beginning full-scale satellite operations.
* The Vega-C launch vehicle is a four-stage rocket, with solid fuel used for stages 1 to 3 and liquid fuel for stage 4. It is capable of launching approximately 2.3 tons to a 700 km orbit.
Jun Hyoungyoll, Executive Director of the Satellite and Space Exploration Research Directorate at KARI, stated, "The launch of Arirang 6 demonstrates Korea’s capability to lead the development of a world-class sub-meter SAR satellite, surpassing the performance of Arirang 5 (1-meter class). This achievement marks a turning point in strengthening space sovereignty and enhancing space competitiveness."
Kim Jin-hee, Director of the Satellite Department at KASA, remarked, "Arirang 6 overcomes the limitations of optical satellites by providing high-performance radar imagery in all weather conditions, even at night or during adverse weather. This will maximize both public and private sector applications in areas such as disaster response, terrain and marine monitoring, environmental and land management." He added, "To provide higher levels of satellite services to the public, we will continue to advance satellite technology and actively promote the development of the satellite industry ecosystem."