Private space launch corporations INNOSPACE will work with Indian satellite corporation Graha Space on multi-launch services.
INNOSPACE said on the 21st that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Graha Space for cooperation on multi-launch services. The signing ceremony was held at the venue of the "Korea-India Space Day" in Bengaluru, India. The event was co-hosted by the Korea AeroSpace Administration and India's National Space Promotion and Authorization Center.
The agreement came on the heels of the first commercial launch of "HANBIT-Nano" in Dec. last year. Graha Space was a satellite customer that took part in that launch. Although the first mission, "SPACEWARD," did not conclude successfully, the two sides have continued to discuss possibilities for cooperation and are now expanding their relationship to multi-launch service cooperation.
INNOSPACE explained that the agreement is meaningful in that it established a cooperation framework premised on repeated launches beyond a one-off launch contract. From the customer's standpoint, it allows more flexible responses to launch schedules and orbital needs and spreads the burden from schedule delays or technical variables.
The two companies plan to seek multi-launch opportunities together and cooperate in building a customer-tailored launch operations system. Based on repeated launches, they intend to systematize operating processes and bolster competitiveness in the small-satellite market.
Graha Space is a space technology startup headquartered in Bengaluru, India. Aiming to commercialize the use of geospatial imagery data, it is developing nano constellation satellites for Earth observation. It has independently developed and provides a stackable nanosatellite platform that can be used in diverse fields, including border surveillance, environmental monitoring, industrial activity analysis, and defense.
Chief Executive Kim Su-jong of INNOSPACE said, "Through this agreement, we have expanded the scope of cooperation with a customer that took part in the initial launch," and added, "Through repeated launches, we will prove the safety of our launch vehicles and provide launch services that meet customer needs, growing into a more trusted partner for global satellite customers."