DAEJEON, SOUTH KOREA — A European satellite manufacturer has announced that it will be developing high performance "dancing satellites" for South Korea.
Thales Alenia Space announced in a press release that it had signed contracts with Korean Aerospace Industries and Hanwha Systems Corp. to build four high-resolution radar satellites for the Agency of Defense Development in South Korea.
The company will provide the synthetic aperture radar payloads for the remote sensing satellites, which will allow all-day imaging of the Earth, even through cloud cover.
The SAR satellites will be fitted with a specialized 5-meter antenna, which will be folded as 24 "petals" and open once in space.
Korean authorities will reportedly be using the constellation of satellites for "surveillance, intelligence and control of specific areas of interest."
The collaboration, known as the 425 project, is the latest venture between Thales Alenia Space and South Korea. The company has previously worked on a number of space programs, including KOMPSAT-5 and KASS.
