Delegation Aims to Boost Global Competitiveness in Space Industry

The 5th military reconnaissance satellite, whose prototype was produced by KAI, is launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, USA on Nov. 2, 2025 (local time), using SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launch vehicle. (Photo courtesy of KAI)

The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) announced on Jan. 27 that it dispatched a public-private delegation to the United States, led by Deputy Administrator Noh Kyung-won, to strengthen the global competitiveness of domestic space companies and support their entry into the U.S. market.

The public-private delegation, composed of officials from 14 space companies in launch vehicles, satellites, and space components, will visit NASA Kennedy Space Center as the first stop, followed by visits to U.S. space companies Blue Origin and SpaceX, and the national research institution Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

On Jan. 26 (local time), the delegation visited the Kennedy Space Center as their first schedule and toured the U.S. space launch vehicle operation systems and facilities opened to the public. Through exchanges with local experts, they grasped the current status of U.S. public space projects and the technology levels and administrative procedures necessary for entering the U.S. market.

Subsequently, they visited Blue Origin’s large-scale rocket assembly factory located in the industrial complex near the Kennedy Space Center, where they examined the assembly process of the reusable rocket New Glenn and directly confirmed the efficient launch vehicle manufacturing system led by the private sector.

The delegation is also scheduled to visit the production and assembly factory of SpaceX, which leads the global private space industry, to explore possibilities for establishing technology cooperation channels.

Additionally, they will visit NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory to tour advanced space exploration facilities and hold meetings with local Korean scientists.

KASA Deputy Administrator Noh Kyung-won said, “This public-private delegation has great significance in that domestic companies are securing practical knowledge and networks at the world’s best sites,” adding, “We will actively expand international cooperation activities so that private companies can leap forward as core partners in the global space industry.”