Hanwha Systems is also taking its first steps into the hyperspectral satellite business capable of observing greenhouse gases.

Hanwha Systems (CEO Sung-chul Eo) announced today that it has won a contract for the development of a ‘micro-hyperspectral satellite for greenhouse gas observation’ hosted by the National Institute of Environmental Research.

The business scale is approximately 40.5 billion won, and a total of five satellites are planned to be developed and supplied by 2028.

Hyperspectral satellites are observation satellites that can observe even invisible atmospheric pollutants from space in detail by splitting the wavelengths of light into hundreds or more spectra.

Hyperspectral imaging technology is currently being used in a variety of fields, including: △determining whether the air and soil are polluted or not; △detecting and analyzing disasters such as droughts and floods; △providing and analyzing information on crop conditions; △identifying forest pests and diseases; and △exploring resources using surface characteristic analysis functions.

The satellite to be developed this time will orbit in a low-orbit at an altitude of less than 600 km and will be used to calculate the amount of methane and carbon dioxide emissions, which are considered the main culprits of global warming, as well as measure their distribution, and monitor areas where excessive emissions are a concern.

Hanwha Systems develops the entire satellite system, from the satellite body and payload development to system integration, and provides total solutions for greenhouse gas observation satellites, including launch and operation support.

This is Hanwha Systems' first entry into the hyperspectral satellite market. With this project order, Hanwha Systems is expected to become the only company in Korea that possesses comprehensive capabilities in Earth observation satellite technologies, including EO, IR, SAR, and hyperspectral.

In particular, Hanwha Systems' greenhouse gas observation satellite will be developed as an ultra-small satellite weighing less than 50 kg based on the capabilities of successfully developing and launching a small SAR satellite in December of last year. Ultra-small observation satellites can be developed in a short period of time and at a low cost compared to medium and large satellites, and since they are operated in clusters, they have the advantage of being able to observe a wider area more frequently and precisely.

For technology verification, Hanwha Systems plans to launch the first ultra-small hyperspectral satellite for greenhouse gas observation in the first half of 2027, and simultaneously launch satellites 2, 3, 4, and 5 in the first half of 2028. Once the launch is complete, Hanwha Systems is expected to become the first domestic company capable of developing and operating ultra-small, cluster-type greenhouse gas observation satellites.

As the issue of global warming becomes a global issue, the need for accurate measurement of greenhouse gas emissions via satellite is increasing.

Accordingly, major overseas countries are actively entering the greenhouse gas observation hyperspectral satellite market, including NASA's OCO-2 satellite, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's GOSAT-2 satellite, and Canada's GHGSat's GHGSat-C9 satellite.

Hanwha Systems sees the possibility of additional business in the future, such as exporting and selling satellite and image data to countries that generate and suffer the most greenhouse gases. We also plan to continue developing hyperspectral satellites capable of observing greenhouse gases other than methane and carbon dioxide.

Sung-chul Oh, CEO of Hanwha Systems, said, “This project order is significant in that it means Hanwha Systems has successfully entered the hyperspectral satellite market following small SAR satellites,” adding, “Based on the capabilities and know-how accumulated through EO, IR, and SAR satellites, Hanwha Systems will continue to develop various types of satellites and establish itself as a leading K-Space company.”