Author: Scanway
Publication date:
On January 30, 2024, Scanway signed a cooperation agreement with Nara Space Technology, one of South Korea’s leading companies in the fields of satellite manufacturing, remote sensing, and artificial intelligence. The goal of the collaboration is to develop a microsatellite system for Earth observation, develop optical instruments, and design observation payloads for the NarSha project—a constellation of microsatellites for methane monitoring. The launch of the first demonstration satellite is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026. Following the success of the demonstration satellite, the launch of at least 6–12 additional microsatellites is planned. The NarSha project has secured funding from, among others, the Korea Development Bank. Scanway was selected to carry out the NarSha project following a positive evaluation by the entire consortium: Nara Space Technology (lead), the Climate Technology Center of Seoul National University, and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute.
– We are continuing our intensive development of products for the space sector and have established another important partnership. Together with a consortium led by the South Korean company Nara Space Technology, we intend to develop a demonstration microsatellite called K3M (Korea Methane Monitoring Microsatellite) as part of the NarSha project. This is the first Korean project to monitor methane using a satellite equipped with advanced optical instruments. The microsatellite is designed to achieve high spatial and temporal resolution imaging of global and point sources of methane. This is intended to improve current capabilities for observing greenhouse gas emitters from space in order to address the climate crisis and reduce methane emissions. For Scanway, this represents another step toward the widespread commercialization of our systematically expanding product portfolio and entry into a new, significant market outside of Europe. Following the successful mission of the demonstration microsatellite, we will be the natural partner for providing payloads for at least the next 6–12 satellites. – comments Jędrzej Kowalewski, Chairman of the Management Board of Scanway S.A.
The NarSha project, under which the K3M demonstration microsatellite will be developed, aims to build a constellation of at least a dozen or so satellites for a global infrastructure to monitor point sources of methane in near real time and with local-level spatial resolution. The project consortium consists of Nara Space Technology (lead), Seoul National University, and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute. Funding for the project has already been secured, and the launch of the demonstration satellite is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026.
The K3M microsatellite will be equipped with an optical instrument for detecting methane plumes in the visible (VIS), near-infrared (NIR), and short-wave infrared (SWIR) bands. The spectral resolution of the imaging instrument is expected to be less than 1 nanometer, and the minimum spatial resolution at an altitude of 500 km is 30 meters. The satellite will weigh at least 32 kg and have a size of 16U, meaning it will consist of 16 modules measuring 10 cm x 10 cm x 11.35 cm.
– The agreement we’ve signed with Nara Space Technology is an important milestone for us in the business discussions currently underway on multiple fronts, aimed at expanding and commercializing our product portfolio. At the end of 2023, we announced an agreement with the German company Marble Imaging, and we are starting the new year by successfully expanding beyond the European market with another commercial project. It is worth noting that this project already has secured financing from investors, including the Korea Development Bank. It is now up to us to prove that choosing Scanway for this project was the right decision. – says Mikołaj Podgórski, COO and co-founder of Scanway S.A.
Nara Space Technology is an innovative company operating in the space technology industry. It specializes in the development and production of advanced satellite systems and technologies related to space exploration. The company’s key areas of activity include the design and construction of small satellites, the development of communication systems for space missions, and the creation of solutions in the field of remote sensing and Earth observation. The company’s activities are aimed not only at advancing the space sector but also at contributing to progress in various areas of life through the use of space technologies for research, communication, and observation purposes.
Scanway develops and commercializes two business lines: products for the space sector (optical instruments for Earth observation and satellite self-diagnostics) and for industry (vision systems). Thanks to the STAR VIBE mission and the launch in early 2023 of a satellite equipped with a vision system and an optical telescope developed and manufactured in the company’s laboratories, Scanway has achieved what is known as Flight Heritage – has proven the reliability and functionality of its solutions in space. The Polish satellite regularly captures new images of Earth, and the Company receives the best images from space ever obtained by Polish research instruments.
As part of its industrial solutions, Scanway specialises in developing proprietary vision systems for the quality control of finished products, raw materials and the production process. The Company’s product range contributes to the implementation of the Industry 4.0 philosophy through the automation and optimisation of quality control processes in sectors such as packaging and printing, the automotive industry, the food industry and the pharmaceutical sector. The hyperspectral technology used by Scanway enables continuous 100% quality control of products on high-throughput production lines, which, amongst other things, helps to reduce the customer’s production costs.