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SI Imaging Services

Planned

Planned Korean X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite delivering all-weather, day-night imaging at up to 0.5 m resolution, succeeding KOMPSAT-5 in the KOMPSAT radar line.

Resolution
0.5 m High Resolution, 1 m, 3 m Standard, 20 m Wide Swath
Bands
1
Revisit Rate
To be confirmed after launch
KOMPSAT-6
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Satellite specifications

Data Availability

Contact us for availability information.

Archive: Not available
Tasking: Not available

Bands

High Resolution A0.5 m GSD
High Resolution B1.0 m GSD
Standard3.0 m GSD
Wide Swath20 m GSD
Satellites in Constellation1
Ground Sample Distance0.5 m High Resolution, 1 m, 3 m Standard, 20 m Wide Swath
Bands1
Revisit RateTo be confirmed after launch
Orbital Altitude505 km
Orbit TypeSun-synchronous orbit
Sensor ResolutionX-band (9.66 GHz) - Single, dual or quad polarisation (HH, HV, VH, VV)
Swath Width5 km (High Resolution A), 10 km (High Resolution B), 30 km (Standard), 100 km (Wide Swath)
Launch DatePlanned for late 2026 to 2027
Launch SiteGuiana Space Centre (Europe's Spaceport), Kourou, French Guiana
Launch VehicleVega C
Mission Life5 years

Overview

KOMPSAT-6 (Korea Multi-Purpose Satellite-6), also known as Arirang-6, is a planned X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite developed by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI). It succeeds KOMPSAT-5 as the radar member of the KOMPSAT series, doubling the best available radar resolution to 0.5 m and adding quad-polarisation capability.

SAR Capabilities

As a radar imaging satellite, KOMPSAT-6 will offer the core advantages of SAR:

  • All-weather imaging - X-band radar sees through cloud, smoke and haze
  • Day and night operation - Active illumination means collection does not depend on sunlight
  • Sub-metre detail - 0.5 m High Resolution mode for object-level identification
  • Polarimetry - Single, dual or quad polarisation (HH, HV, VH, VV) for surface and material characterisation
  • Flexible geometry - Incidence angles from 20 to 60 degrees

Imaging Modes

KOMPSAT-6 is designed with four imaging modes that trade detail against coverage:

  • High Resolution A - 0.5 m resolution over a 5 km swath
  • High Resolution B - 1.0 m resolution over a 10 km swath
  • Standard - 3.0 m resolution over a 30 km swath
  • Wide Swath - 20 m resolution over a 100 km swath

Launch Status

KOMPSAT-6 was originally scheduled to launch in 2020 and later on a Russian Angara rocket. That launch was cancelled in 2022, and the satellite was re-manifested on a Vega C from French Guiana, where it will fly with the PLATiNO-1 satellite. The launch is currently targeted for late 2026 to 2027.

  • Satellite bus - Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI)
  • Radar payload - LIG Nex1 with Airbus Defence and Space
  • Orbit - Sun-synchronous orbit at about 505 km
  • Design life - 5 years

Tasking and Delivery via SIIS

SI Imaging Services (SIIS) distributes the KOMPSAT series worldwide. Once KOMPSAT-6 completes commissioning, Terrabit expects to offer it alongside KOMPSAT-5 for radar tasking and archive orders through SIIS.

Applications

KOMPSAT-6's high-resolution radar will support:

  • Defence and security - Persistent monitoring regardless of cloud or daylight
  • Maritime surveillance - Vessel detection and port activity monitoring
  • Infrastructure - Change detection over facilities, mines and transport corridors
  • Disaster response - Flood and damage mapping when optical sensors are blocked by cloud

Register Interest

Interested in this upcoming constellation? Contact our team to register your interest and stay informed about availability.