Hanwha Systems unveils stunning Earth images captured by small SAR satellite

Hanwha Systems released high-quality images of various landmarks on April 18, taken from space by its small synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite that has been in orbit since last December.

The satellite produced images of New York’s Central Park and Yankee Stadium, and Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah, the world’s largest artificial archipelago, demonstrating its ability to identify and observe major bridges, rivers, and airports in detail. They were transmitted from an altitude of 650 kilometers above the Earth.

“These images, taken by our small SAR satellite, have reaffirmed our technological prowess in the space sector,” said Sung-Chul Eoh, CEO of Hanwha Systems. “We are committed to expanding our space business, encompassing satellite manufacturing and related services, to foster the growth of various domestic and foreign industries.”

The small SAR satellite is the first of its kind launched by a private Korean company. Since its launch four months ago, it has been on a trial run, orbiting the Earth 15 times a day and communicating with ground stations six times a day while collecting terrain data.

SAR satellite images can be utilized in various fields including environmental monitoring, disaster management, construction and infrastructure development, future energy exploration, and national security. SAR satellites are useful for these applications as they use microwaves and can penetrate thick clouds to gather data in all weather conditions, regardless of the time of day.

These satellites can also detect subtle changes in the images over time, meaning they are able to predict urban subsidence, or sinkholes, as well as landslides, and shifts in trade volume.

Hanwha Systems plans to enhance its SAR satellite technology to capture images that identify more detailed features such as low-rise buildings and cars in urban centers, flora and fauna in forests, and maritime vessels in the sea.

The company will also create diverse value-added services in the satellite service market. This includes environmental monitoring through the analysis of high-resolution satellite images for the business-to-government (B2G) and business-to-business (B2B) markets, data analysis for geographic information system (GIS) mapping, and automatic fusion and analysis of satellite images using small SAR satellites.

The global satellite market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 8.1% through 2032 to reach $615.7 billion (837 trillion won) in 2032, and the satellite service market is projected to grow to $144.5 billion (197 trillion won) in 2026, according to market research firm Allied Market Research.

The small SAR satellite manufactured by Hanwha Systems delivers 1-meter resolution images. Veering away from conventional satellite design, it has a unique shape that integrates its payload, main body, and solar panels to maximize the available loading space on the launch vehicle.

Hanwha Systems' small SAR satellite was launched last year on Dec. 4 at 14:00 and settled into its designated orbit, stably transmitting its first signal at 15:45:40 and successfully communicating with ground control at 17:38:00.