L3Harris to supply imager for Korean geostationary weather satellite

TAHOE CITY, Calif. — L3Harris Technologies will provide the primary imagery for the Korean Meteorological Administration’s (KMA) next-generation geostationary weather satellite. The contract, awarded to L3Harris by Korean aerospace manufacturer LIG Nex1, was announced Jan. 22.

The 18-channel L3Harris GEO-KOMPSAT Meteorological Imager will improve the accuracy and timeliness of forecasts for the Korean Peninsula by identifying the spectral signatures of clouds, snow, water moisture and fog, Paul Wloszek, L3Harris Spectral Solutions vice president and general manager, told SpaceNews.

L3Harris has a history of providing imagers for U.S., Japanese and Korean weather satellites. The L3Harris GeoXO imager for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Geostationary and Extended Observations (GeoXO) program passed a critical design review in November. The L3Harris imager and sounder for the Japan Meteorological Agency’s geostationary meteorological satellite Himawari-10 completed critical design reviews in December.

The critical design reviews confirmed that the U.S. and Japanese instruments will meet their 10-year on-orbit lifespan and cleared the way for system-level production to begin, Wloszek said.

While the U.S., Japanese and Korean imagers are similar, L3Harris selects the spectral bands each instrument will observe. The GEO-KOMPSAT Meteorological Imager, for example, is designed to provide the observations that help meteorologists track the progression of tropical cyclones and wildfires.

“L3Harris is committed to providing on-orbit technology that advances global weather capabilities, including the enhanced tracking and characterization of tropical cyclones, extreme precipitation events and wildfires,” Jeff Hanke, L3Harris Space Systems president, said in a statement. “Detecting potentially severe storms earlier and tracking them in greater detail will significantly enhance the safety and well-being of communities.”

L3Harris has supplied instruments for Korean weather satellites for 60 years, building the Advanced Meteorological Imager for KMA’s current geostationary weather satellite, GEO-KOMPSAT-2A, and supported the meteorological imager aboard its predecessor, the Communication, Ocean and Meteorological Satellite.