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Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and Hanwha Systems are competing to build 40 ultra-small synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites for South Korea, aimed at monitoring the Korean Peninsula every 20-30 minutes. The project, requiring 1.2-1.3 trillion won, will see the satellites launched sequentially starting late this year.

KAI plans to use commercial components to reduce costs, while Hanwha Systems is collaborating with Satrec Initiative for integrated satellite designs. The contractor selection by the Korea AeroSpace Administration and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration is expected in October, with launches involving SpaceX and the Korea Space Launch Vehicle II (KSLV-II).