Up to 60 Million Won in Testing Support for Space Companies... KASA Increases Support Limit by 50%

Recruiting Participants for the Space Environment Test Support Project
Targeting SMEs, Mid-Sized Companies, and Universities
Enhancing Product Reliability and Export Competitiveness

The Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA) is expanding its support for space environment testing costs in order to reduce the burden on domestic companies and universities developing space equipment.

On June 21, KASA announced that it will be accepting applications from institutions wishing to participate in the "2026 Space Environment Test Support Project" from June 22 to July 6.

Reference photo to aid understanding of the article. Nuri rocket preparing for launch. Photo by The Asia Business Daily DB

The Space Environment Test Support Project provides funding for tests simulating space environments—such as thermal, vacuum, and radiation conditions—in order to improve the reliability of space equipment developed by domestic small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), mid-sized companies, and universities. The support covers not only the environmental conditions that space equipment will encounter during actual space missions, but also tests required for ground inspections and the launch process.

Eligible applicants are domestic SMEs, mid-sized companies, and universities that develop space equipment independently. KASA plans to select recipients based on a comprehensive evaluation of the suitability of the items, appropriateness of the project budget, suitability of the testing institution, and the expected economic and technological impact.

Selected companies will receive support for up to 75% of testing costs, with an annual cap of 60 million won per company. Universities are eligible for full coverage of testing costs up to an annual limit of 30 million won. Notably, this year, the support limits have been increased by 50% compared to last year, enabling companies and universities to carry out a wider range of space environment tests.

Because space equipment is virtually impossible to repair or maintain after launch, pre-verification through environmental testing at the ground stage is essential. However, the high cost of testing has been a significant burden for companies and universities. Through this project, KASA aims to reduce the financial burden of private space development and enhance the competitiveness of domestic products.

Last year, a total of 12 institutions—including 11 companies and 1 university—received support. As a result, there was one overseas export and eight domestic institution deliveries. Supported organizations included Steplab, AP Satellite, GigaLane, Lumir, Satrec Initiative, Hancom InSpace, and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), among others.

KASA Administrator Tae seog Oh stated, "The Space Environment Test Support Project is essential for enhancing the technological capabilities of companies and universities and accelerating product innovation," adding, "We will continue to foster an innovative space technology development environment by expanding our environmental testing infrastructure and increasing the scale of support."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.