[Defense Column] Why Military Micro-Satellites Are the Strongest

[Monthly Defense Times Editor-in-Chief An Seung-beom] Reconnaissance satellites scan the ground and transmit the generated video data to the ground satellite control system, where specialized personnel must interpret it to secure satellite reconnaissance information.

One of the reconnaissance satellites that the Republic of Korea Armed Forces are currently introducing, aiming for use in the 2030s, is a micro-sized satellite equipped with an ultra-precise Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). An explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) algorithm will be applied to this satellite. SAR satellites create images by emitting electromagnetic waves toward ground targets and synthesizing the reflected signal data. They enable observation and reconnaissance regardless of day or night and adverse weather conditions.

The principle of the XAI algorithm is based on deep learning, identifying objects within the images and reflecting this in the video data transmitted to the satellite control system. This allows automatic image interpretation at the satellite level, minimizing the time required for human personnel to analyze the images by only verifying the already processed automatic interpretation results, significantly reducing the time needed to secure reconnaissance outcomes.

By applying XAI in this way, the radar integrated into the satellite scans the ground, and using the SAR algorithm-generated images, it employs a pre-established image model to specifically identify meaningful reconnaissance targets in the SAR scan images based on deep learning.

The reconnaissance satellites secured through the ongoing 425 project are capable of long-term use but have the disadvantage of a small acquisition number and difficulty in continuous monitoring due to revisit cycles and Earth's rotation.

On the other hand, micro-sized satellites have short revisit cycles and can operate more than 30 satellites simultaneously in orbits slightly lower than Low Earth Orbit (LEO), enabling continuous surveillance. However, micro-sized SAR satellites have a short lifespan and relatively limited scanning area per pass.

To compensate for this, when a micro-sized SAR satellite reaches the end of its lifespan, solid-fuel rockets operated by the Air Force Space Operations Unit will be used to deploy replacement micro-sized satellites into orbit.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.