LIG Nex1 secures $75 mn contract for KSIS military ground segment

South Korean aerospace manufacturer and defense company LIG Nex1 Co. announced on Wednesday a $75 million (99.1 billion won) contract with the country's Agency for Defense Development (ADD) to develop a military ground segment for the Korea Small Imaging Satellite system (KSIS). The project, under the ADD's guidance, is slated for completion by 2030.

KSIS is designed to augment the "Kill Chain," South Korea's pre-emptive strike system, by operating synergistically with existing military reconnaissance satellites. This strategic enhancement is aimed at improving surveillance capabilities over the Korean Peninsula and surrounding seas, thereby fortifying the national security response.

The KSIS military ground segment is tasked with creating mission and collection plans for the miniature synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and electro-optical (EO) cluster satellites. Additionally, it oversees satellite operations, including the control, receipt, processing, storage and distribution of the image data captured by the satellites.

With this initiative, LIG Nex1 is poised to aggressively target various satellite ground system markets and satellite service sectors. This includes a particular focus on the development of civilian ground systems and service provision for the small satellite system project.

Furthermore, LIG Nex1 is contributing as a partner in the SAR payload sector for the microsatellite SAR verification project, which is being developed by a consortium of companies. The firm has an established track record in SAR payload work, with past projects including the multipurpose practical satellite No. 6 in 2014, the geostationary public complex communications satellite payload in 2021, and the Korean Positioning System (KPS) in 2022.

"We are committed to pioneering the acquisition of rapidly advancing satellite technologies through the operation of the Satellite System Academy, centered on the Satellite System Research Institute," a LIG Nex1 official said.

Write to Hyung-Kyu Kim at khk@hankyung.com