Science

KOMPSAT-7

Korean Sub-Meter Optical + Infrared Earth Observation Satellite · KARI (Korea Aerospace Research Institute)

KOMPSAT-7 (Arirang-7), launched December 1, 2025 on a Vega-C from Kourou after a launch delayed from its original 2022 target. Built by South Korea's Korea Aerospace Research Institute, KOMPSAT-7 carries the country's sharpest civilian optical imager yet — the AEISS-HR sensor resolves objects down to roughly 30 cm in panchromatic mode — paired for the first time with a dedicated infrared module sensitive enough to detect the heat signature of a wildfire, a volcanic eruption, or an urban heat island. A control moment gyroscope lets it snap onto a new target almost instantly, and over a terabit of onboard storage means it can bank huge volumes of imagery before ever passing over a ground station. KOMPSAT-7 released its first public images in March 2026, with a twin satellite, KOMPSAT-7A, expected to follow in 2026 to double the constellation's revisit rate.