'Intelligent satellites that think for themselves will usher in the space AI era'

"The core of Korea Aerospace Industries' vision for space AI solutions is the realization of 'intelligent satellites' — satellites that can analyze data on their own and make the necessary decisions autonomously."

Seo Hyun-seok, executive director and head of KAI's space business division, summed up the company's direction in space in a single sentence during an interview Friday. KAI, a key player in South Korea's defense industry, is expanding into new businesses such as space to move beyond its traditional defense-focused structure. "The ultimate goal is to transform KAI from a company that builds satellites into a company that uses AI to turn space data into valuable information," Seo said.

Seo is a satellite expert who has spent roughly 30 years at KAI and helped lead South Korea's space development efforts. He has participated in every national satellite program the country has undertaken. This year, he received the Ungbi Medal of Science and Technology in recognition of his contributions to national satellite development.

He explained the difference between conventional satellites and intelligent ones. "A conventional satellite transmits data captured or collected in space down to the ground, where people analyze it and then send commands back up to the satellite," he said. "An intelligent satellite equipped with AI, by contrast, analyzes its own data, identifies anomalies and adjusts its mission as needed," he added.

To develop intelligent satellites, KAI is focusing first on implementing "AI onboard processing" — the autonomous analysis of a satellite's condition based on data collected by an AI module. KAI is applying its own AI module to a CubeSat project being pursued by Space LiinTech and Yonsei University, running a demonstration program to verify whether the system can diagnose abnormal satellite conditions and respond to failures in space.

"Using AI in space is not something KAI can claim as an exclusive technology," Seo said. "What we want to differentiate ourselves on is combining AI with actual satellite systems to create an integrated, operational solution." The goal is for KAI's medium, large and very small satellites to operate together as a single AI-based system.

"In the short term, the priority is demonstrating the AI module in space and securing its reliability. In the medium term, we want to expand the scope of AI applications to areas such as image analysis and anomaly detection," he said. "Over the long term, we aim to develop an intelligent satellite constellation in which multiple satellites form a network, share information with one another and divide up mission tasks."

The biggest challenge in developing intelligent satellites is making AI operate reliably in space, Seo said.

"On the ground, you can draw on high-performance computing resources such as GPUs, but satellites have limited power and processing capacity and are exposed to the harsh environment of cosmic radiation," he said. "Once a satellite is launched, physical repairs from the ground are not possible if something goes wrong." To reduce trial and error, KAI is conducting CubeSat demonstration tests of the kind described above.

KAI is also collaborating with a range of companies to accelerate development. As part of that effort, it recently held a K-AI Family technology exchange forum with affiliated companies that possess AI capabilities. "At the forum, we discussed ways to apply AI technology to satellites and manned-unmanned teaming systems," Seo said. "Going forward, we plan to expand our cooperation model to include not only domestic startups but also overseas companies."

Seo said that for KAI and other South Korean companies to achieve results in the space sector, they will need broad government support. "To compete with the world's leading space powers, South Korea needs an ecosystem that brings together not only satellite developers but also AI companies, chipmakers, startups, universities and research institutions," he said. "The government must continue to provide sustained support to build that kind of ecosystem."

He added that securing opportunities to demonstrate space AI in actual space environments and building an early track record are critically important, and that the government must expand demonstration programs and public-sector demand so that private companies can develop technologies and apply them to real satellites.

Seo is scheduled to speak at the Herald Business Forum 2026, to be held Monday at the Shilla Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, where he will introduce KAI's vision for space AI solutions.