South Korean indigenous 50-kg-class small satellite series, developed originally with technology transfer from Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd.

In August 1992 South Korea's first completely indigenous satellite was launched as a piggyback payload on the Topex/Poseidon mission. The 50-kg microsat was known variously as Kitsat 1, Oscar 23, and Uribyol 1 (Our Star).

The Kitsat-1 satellite's experimental payloads included:

Earth Imaging System (EIS) - The KITSAT-A EIS consisted of two charge-coupled device (CCD) imagers, two lenses, and a Transputer Image Processing Experiment. One of the imagers would provide a wide field of view with approximately 4km-ground resolution. The second imager would provide telephoto facility giving approximately 400 meters ground resolution.

Digital Signal Processing Experiment (DPSE) - The DPSE comprised two Texas Instruments DSP microprocessors which could work separately or in parallel. The DPSE would broadcast stored speech; relay compressed speech in real time; and implement advanced data link modulation techniques.

PACSAT Communications System (PCS) - The KITSAT-A PCS would provide store-and-forward digital communications for stations in the Amateur Satellite service. This system would use standard protocols for message forwarding. Storage would be in a 13 Mbyte CMOS SRAM bank.

Cosmic Ray Experiment (CRE) - KITSAT-A would continue the radiation environment and effects monitoring which was currently ongoing on the UoSAT-3 and UoSAT-5 satellites. A total dose experiment would measure total ionizing dose and a Cosmic Particle Experiment would monitor energetic particle events. The data collected from KITSAT-A's high-altitude, inclined orbit would be compared with that available in the 800-km polar orbits already monitored.

The collaboration has also encompassed the installation of ground station facilities in Korea, participation of Korean engineers in the UoSAT-5 mission, technology transfer and training of students on the MSc courses at Surrey.

Typical orbit: 727 km circular orbit, 98.4 deg inclination. Mass: 50 kg (110 lb).

• 1993 September 26 - Kitsat-2 - Program: Oscar. Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Complex: ELA2. Launch Vehicle: Ariane. Mass: 49 kg (108 lb). Perigee: 790 km (490 mi). Apogee: 801 km (497 mi). Inclination: 98.30 deg. Period: 100.80 min.
  KITSAT-OSCAR 25 was a South Korean experimental microsatellite based on the SSTL UoSAT bus built by the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). KO-25 was operated from The Satellite Technology Research Center (SaTReC) in South Korea. KO-25's mission was to take CCD pictures, process numerical information, measure radiation, and receive and forward messages. The Infrared Sensor Experiment (IREX) was designed to acquire I/V characteristics of IR sensors. A passive cooling structure was devised for this experiment. KO-25 was eventually operated purely as a packet store-and-forward satellite.

• 1999 May 26 - Kitsat-3 - Launch Site: Sriharikota. Launch Complex: PSLV. Launch Vehicle: PSLV. Perigee: 716 km (444 mi). Apogee: 738 km (458 mi). Inclination: 98.40 deg.