KOMPSAT-7 & KOMPSAT-7A Satellite Capabilities
Next-Generation High-Resolution Optical & Infrared Imaging Satellites for Earth Observation
Launch Update: KOMPSAT-7 launched 1 December 2025. KOMPSAT-7A is expected to launch late November 2026.
About KOMPSAT-7 and KOMPSAT-7A
KOMPSAT-7 and KOMPSAT-7A are Korea’s next-generation Earth observation satellites, developed by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) as advanced successors to the KOMPSAT-3A mission. Their core mission objective is to acquire extremely high-resolution optical and infrared satellite imagery from a polar low Earth orbit, supporting detailed mapping, environmental monitoring, and thermal anomaly detection.
Both satellites feature a state-of-the-art high-resolution infrared sensor designed to detect and monitor thermal heat signatures, including wildfires, volcanic activity, urban heat sources, and industrial emissions. Complementing this, KOMPSAT-7 and 7A deliver world-class optical imaging, offering 0.3 m panchromatic and 1.2 m multispectral resolution at nadir, enabling detailed analysis of land surface features and environmental change.
KOMPSAT-7 launched from Kourou, French Guiana, on the Vega-C launch vehicle on 1 December 2025. KOMPSAT-7A is scheduled to follow between 2025 and 2027, using the same launch system capable of supporting large, high-performance satellite payloads.
Key Features and Benefits of KOMPSAT-7 & 7A
- Ultra high-resolution optical imaging with 0.3 m panchromatic and 1.2 m multispectral imagery, ideal for precision mapping, infrastructure monitoring, and land use analysis.
- Advanced infrared sensing capabilities for thermal anomaly detection, enabling monitoring of fires, volcanic activity, energy infrastructure, industrial hotspots, and urban heat distribution.
- Operates in a polar low Earth orbit, providing consistent global coverage suitable for environmental assessment and long-term land surface monitoring.
- Designed as successors to KOMPSAT-3A, offering significant improvements in imaging quality, system stability, and onboard sensor technology.
KOMPSAT-7 and 7A form part of the broader KOMPSAT constellation by SIIS, which includes missions such as KOMPSAT-2, KOMPSAT-3, KOMPSAT-3A, and KOMPSAT-5. Geoimage supplies high-quality data across these missions to support comprehensive Earth observation requirements.
More information and updates on KOMPSAT-7 and KOMPSAT-7A capabilities will be provided as additional mission data becomes available.
