Tackling “Micro-Vibrations,” a Major Challenge for Ultra-Small Satellite Technology: "Challenge to Develop Space Domain Awareness (SDA) Technology Domestically"

[Financial News] The Korea Research Institute for Defense Technology Planning and Advancement (KRIT) has taken the lead in arranging technology cooperation between a domestic defense innovation company and an outstanding overseas research institute. It has also launched a government-funded research project to enhance South Korea’s R&D capabilities in the ultra-small satellite sector and demonstrate SDA performance, a key component of space security.
According to KRIT on the 21st, the project ultimately aims to develop proprietary technology that dramatically suppresses micro-vibrations, considered the greatest challenge for high-resolution satellite cameras, and demonstrate it in space to maximize the quality of imagery used to observe space objects.
Ultra-small satellites are highly vulnerable to vibration because of their weight and size limitations. Successfully controlling micro-vibrations would extend a satellite’s mission life, reduce payload weight and launch costs, and, most importantly, enable ultra-precise tracking of space objects by maximizing resolution. This would significantly improve space-domain surveillance capabilities.
The project, being carried out under the Defense Acquisition Program Administration’s (DAPA) Defense Innovation Company Support Program, will conduct research over the next 36 months into an ultra-small satellite system for missions using an SDA optical payload with micro-vibration reduction. Through close cooperation between its domestic department and U.S. office, KRIT identified an overseas research institute suited to the technical needs of domestic space venture STEP LAB and connected the company with an actual R&D project.
The partner in this global technology cooperation is SRI, the U.S. independent nonprofit research institute that developed the underlying technology for Apple’s AI assistant Siri. During the project, STEP LAB plans to learn from SRI’s distinctive space-object tracking technology and research experience while building its own capabilities for joint research.
A KRIT official stated, "We will continue expanding opportunities to connect defense innovation companies with R&D projects and technology partnerships so they can gain global competitiveness through technological exchanges with outstanding overseas research institutes."
The project’s key target, micro-vibration, refers to tiny movements generated by cooling systems and other moving components installed inside satellites. These movements blur the focus of optical cameras and significantly reduce observation capabilities, making them a chronic technical obstacle. Ultra-small satellites are particularly vulnerable because of their smaller size, limiting their ability to obtain high-resolution imagery.
With KRIT’s support, STEP LAB plans to successfully integrate its micro-vibration reduction technology into an ultra-small satellite system. The company aims to secure stable, ultra-precise observation data without shaking even in the extreme space environment and demonstrate the systematic competitiveness of its proprietary payload technology.
Countries with advanced satellite industries, including the United States and Europe, have already overcome micro-vibration challenges at the large- and medium-sized satellite levels and are operating such systems in the field. However, optimizing and fully integrating the technology into the ultra-lightweight, low-cost systems of ultra-small satellites, such as CubeSats, remains a highly difficult technical task and a major bottleneck even in the global market. South Korea is therefore seen as taking on an ambitious challenge to overcome this hurdle.

[email protected] Jong-yoon Lee Reporter