KAIST's five NEONSAT cluster satellites set for Nuri launch on Oct 7

Five small Earth-observation satellites built under a project led by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, known as NEONSAT units 2–6, are scheduled to launch as the main payload of the Nuri rocket's fifth flight from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, on Oct 7, KAIST said on Oct 6. The launch window runs from 12:23 to 13:23 local time, and the exact time will be fixed on the day of launch, according to the reports. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]

Each satellite weighs under 100 kg and is designed for Earth observation, capable of capturing black-and-white imagery at 1 m resolution and color imagery at 4 m, KAIST said. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]

Under the plan, five more satellites, units 7–11, would launch on the Nuri rocket's sixth flight next year, completing a cluster of ten mass-produced satellites. Once cluster operation is possible as planned, KAIST says the system could image the Korean Peninsula more than three times a day and re-image the same spot within 24 hours during disasters or other emergencies. KAIST describes the project as South Korea's first development of practical, mass-produced cluster satellites. [ 1 , 3 ]

KAIST's Satellite Research Institute leads the project overall, including satellite system development, and has established the analysis methods and management procedures needed to develop, verify and operate multiple satellites together, according to KAIST. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute is responsible for the ground system for cluster operations and for the development of satellite image calibration, correction and utilization systems, while Satrec Initiative took part in developing the satellite bodies and high-resolution optical cameras. The project is supported by the Korea AeroSpace Administration and carried out jointly by domestic industry, academia and research institutes, the reports said. [ 1 , 3 ]

KAIST has attached the shared abbreviation “BTS” to mission names at each phase: “Beginning of The Swarm” for the prototype, “Bridging of The Swarm” for the verification satellite, “Beholding of The Swarm” for this first production batch and “Beyond The Swarm” for the second batch planned for next year. [ 1 ]

Han Jae-heung, head of KAIST's Space Research Institute, said the core goal is not simply building one satellite but creating a system in which multiple satellites are produced and verified to the same standard and then operated together in orbit, adding that satellite status and image quality would be checked after launch so that cluster observation proceeds as planned. KAIST President Bae Choong-sik said the NEONSAT launch is an important step in extending single-satellite development capability to a cluster system, and expressed hope that the research would lead to practical value for disaster response and public safety. [ 1 , 3 ]

The Nuri rocket also carries ten cube satellites as secondary payloads, including KAIST's Jibisat, which is to survey the low Earth orbit space environment. [ 1 , 3 ]