AP Satellite Completes Integrated Satellite AIT Center in Seoul Metropolitan Area: "Aiming to Become a Global Space Solutions Provider"

AP Satellite is accelerating its efforts to penetrate the global space market by becoming the first domestic private space company to establish an integrated satellite Assembly, Integration, and Test (AIT) facility in the Seoul metropolitan area.

On May 20, AP Satellite announced that it held a completion ceremony for the 'AP Satellite AIT Center' in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, with key stakeholders and industry officials in attendance.

The newly completed AIT Center is an integrated facility designed to independently handle the entire process, from manufacturing satellite electronic components to assembly, integration, testing, and control. The company explained that this is the first time a domestic private space company has established such an integrated satellite assembly and test infrastructure in the Seoul metropolitan area.

The center is equipped with a satellite assembly and test clean room, a satellite control room, a space-grade PCB manufacturing line, a clean room for satellite electronic components manufacturing, an AIT operations center, and satellite antenna facilities.

In particular, the facility includes a clean room capable of handling assembly and testing of satellites weighing up to 750 kg, as well as control facilities that enable communication with satellites from very low Earth orbit (VLEO) to geostationary orbit (GEO). Additionally, the PCB manufacturing line has been built to meet the European ECSS international standards for space technology.

The center is also equipped with space environment testing facilities such as vibration testers, thermal vacuum chambers, and EMC chambers. This enables the company to strengthen its independent development system, covering the entire process from satellite electronic component manufacturing to system integration, quality verification, and actual operation.

AP Satellite is a leading private space company in Korea with accumulated expertise in satellite communication terminals and satellite systems. Based on its collaboration with the global satellite communications company Thuraya, it has supplied more than 1 million satellite communication terminals worldwide. The company has since expanded its business into small satellite platforms, satellite bodies, payloads, electronic components, satellite test equipment (EGSE), and ground station systems.

The company emphasized that with the establishment of the AIT Center, it now has the foundation to independently carry out the entire satellite development process. Based on this, AP Satellite plans to expand its business into various sectors, including SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellites, optical satellites, and communication satellites.

An AP Satellite representative stated, "With the completion of the AIT Center, we have secured the capability to independently handle everything from satellite electronic component manufacturing to assembly, integration, testing, and control. Moving forward, we will expand our business into SAR, optical satellites, and communication satellites, aiming to grow into a comprehensive global space solutions provider."

The completion of the AIT Center is considered significant, as it marks AP Satellite’s internalization of core satellite development infrastructure and a full-scale effort to enhance its competitiveness in the global space market beyond Korea.

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