Korean Company Develops Space Map to Track Chinese Satellites

On the 24th, in the Spacmap office located on the campus of Hankyong University in Songdong District, Seoul, we met with Kim Deok-su, representative of Spacmap (a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Hankyong University), who introduced the service "SpaceTube" launched last month.

SpaceTube is a combination of "Space" and "YouTube," a website where users can watch important satellite dynamics such as China's "air combat" like watching YouTube.

By clicking on satellite information on the website, users can view the real-time movement of multiple space objects and analyze collision risks.

Kim Deok-su said, "Based on the satellite data we hold, users can also directly upload content. The accumulated data will become our asset." He added, "We have also developed '42 Talk,' a service that connects the real-time satellite data used by SpaceTube with Zoom." 42 Talk is a platform where people related to space from the United States, South Korea, Japan, and other countries can watch satellite dynamics and hold video conferences. Kim Deok-su explained, "This will become Spacmap's new business model."

Currently, Spacmap's main revenue comes from the U.S. Space Force's "SDA TAP LAB" space domain awareness project. SDA TAP LAB is a research and development program established by the U.S. Space Force to enhance its ability to identify space objects in an increasingly complex space environment. Spacmap is the first company from an Asian country to participate in this project. Spacmap's space object identification system is based on satellite data publicly released by the Joint Space Operations Center of the U.S. Space Command, calculating the distance between satellites.

Kim Deok-su said, "To apply this principle to satellites, it is necessary to extend the Voronoi diagram to three dimensions. Since satellites move along curved paths and their speed changes constantly, the equations become extremely complicated. Only Spacmap can accurately calculate and apply it to space object identification."

Based on this advantage, Spacmap is currently participating in Amazon's "Kuiper Project." The Kuiper Project is Amazon's satellite communication service being prepared to counter Starlink. The company also plans to propose business cooperation suggestions to Starlink.

With the expansion of its U.S. business, the company has also established a subsidiary called "Spacmap US" in the Denver area of Colorado, USA. Kim Deok-su explained, "To obtain substantial funding from the U.S. government, this is essential work. Local recruitment procedures are currently underway."

Original article: www.toutiao.com/article/1846963040880651/

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