National Institute of Environmental Research and Gyeongsang National University Jointly Develop Greenhouse Gas Observation Satellite

Launch of Five Major Greenhouse Gas Monitoring Satellites Starting in 2027

On the 12th, commuters hurried their steps at a crosswalk near Jonggak Station in Seoul. The National Institute of Environmental Research under the Ministry of Environment predicted, "Fine dust concentrations will be at 'moderate' levels in most areas, but due to stagnant air in the morning and at night, domestic and foreign fine dust will accumulate, causing higher concentrations in some central and western regions." / Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

The National Institute of Environmental Research under the Ministry of Environment will sign a business agreement with Gyeongsang National University on the 19th to develop a satellite that measures greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere.

This business agreement was established to develop a satellite capable of observing greenhouse gas concentrations uniformly in space and time for accurate verification of greenhouse gas emissions.

Countries such as Japan, the United States, and Europe are promoting plans to monitor greenhouse gases and estimate emissions using their own satellites, but South Korea does not yet have a satellite capable of observing greenhouse gases.

Through this business agreement, the Institute plans to support mutual exchange of research personnel for the development of domestic microsatellites for greenhouse gas observation and the training of aerospace professionals through the Glocal College project at Gyeongsang National University.

Starting this year, the Institute will actively promote the development project of microsatellites capable of global observation and high-resolution observation of the Korean Peninsula in accordance with the national carbon neutrality and green growth basic plans, and plans to launch a total of five greenhouse gas observation satellites over two years beginning in 2027.

Myungsoo Yoo, head of the Climate and Atmospheric Research Division at the Institute, stated, “In the era of climate crisis, South Korea must also possess greenhouse gas observation satellites to respond to international trends such as trade barriers,” adding, “We plan to actively support sharing data from greenhouse gas observation satellites, identifying missing greenhouse gas emission sources, verifying emission amounts, and preparing climate adaptation measures.”

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