▷ Hanwha invested KRW 100 billion… Began the development of inter-satellite links (ISL) technology for low-orbit satellite communications.

Hanwha Systems (CEO Yeon-chul Kim) will invest USD 30 million (about KRW 330 billion) in Kymeta, a U.S. satellite antenna company. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (CFUIS) has approved Hanwha Systems' investment in Kymeta. The CFIUS approval accelerates Hanwha Systems' strategic partnership with Kymeta, which began late last year, to develop future satellite antennas.

Kymeta is a leading provider of electronically steerable satellite antennas that can receive and process signals from satellites while in motion. An electronic antenna is a necessary piece of equipment for using satellite communication in sea and air areas where terrestrial internet networks (i.e. base stations, fiber optics, etc.) do not reach.

Unlike the parabolic antennas that we are familiar with, electronic antennas are flat and light, so they can be directly mounted on cars and aircraft. Global space companies, such as SpaceX, Amazon, and OneWeb, are also developing electronic antenna technologies for low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications.

Simultaneous development of meta-structure and semiconductor chip antennas... Preparing for the satellite communication & air mobility era

Kymeta has succeeded in commercializing electronically steerable antennas (ESAs), and owns patents in the U.S. and internationally. The core technology of the ESA is to control the wavelength and shape of radio waves, sound, and light by creating fine patterns on glass substrates of antennas. This allows the antennas to quickly and accurately receive and process signals sent from satellites.

Hanwha Systems acquired Phasor Solutions, a British satellite antenna company, in June last year, and founded Hanwha Phasor. Hanwha Phasor is developing high-performance electronic antenna technology based on semiconductor chips.

The acquisition of Kymeta's meta-structure antenna technology will enable Hanwha Systems to expand its antenna technological prowess and capabilities in sea, air, and land arenas, which are required for future low-orbit satellite communication and air mobility.

Hanwha Systems is the sole company in Korea that is simultaneously developing interrelated technologies, including satellites and antennas for low-orbit satellite communication and air taxis that utilize satellite communication technology.

Kaimeta CEO Doug Hutcheson said, "Our partnership with Hanwha Systems affords us a significant competitive advantage in the global low-orbit satellite communication market.” Hanwha Systems' Satellite Communications Business Division aims to generate KRW 5.8 trillion in sales in 2030.