Fiberpro leads Daejeon sweep as Korea AeroSpace Administration selects 8 space new technologies

The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) has selected eight space new technologies in its second designation cycle, with four satellite-sector awards all going to Daejeon-based companies. Fiberpro received recognition for its fiber-optic gyroscope technology that enables precise attitude control of low-earth-orbit satellites without mechanical rotating parts, offering long-term stable operation. Other Daejeon winners include DoosTech for geostationary-orbit GNSS receivers, Cosmobi for Hall-effect thrusters and hollow cathodes for small satellites, and M.I.D for radiation-hardened SRAM memory. In the launch-vehicle track, KASA selected Bitsro Nextech for oxidation-resistant coatings, Hanyang ENG for umbilical systems, Perigee Aerospace for electroforming combustion chambers, and Innospace for regeneratively-cooled methane engine combustors using additive manufacturing.

This designation matters for the additive manufacturing industry because Innospace's selection explicitly validates metal AM as a production method for complex liquid rocket engine components. Innospace applied 3D printing to fabricate intricate cooling channel structures in its methane engine combustor, achieving weight reduction and improved payload efficiency - a direct application of metal powder bed fusion (LPBF) for extreme-environment aerospace hardware. The broader pattern echoes the global aerospace qualification grind: South Korea's nascent private launch sector is leapfrogging traditional welded fabrication by adopting AM for engine components, mirroring the trajectory seen with Relativity Space and Launcher in the US. The fact that all four satellite-technology winners are clustered in Daejeon also signals a geographic concentration of space-grade component expertise that could attract further AM service and materials investment to the region.

From a practical standpoint, Innospace's AM-based combustor now carries formal government technology designation, which should accelerate its path to flight qualification and eventual production contracts. The company must still demonstrate repeatable build consistency and pass full-duration hot-fire testing before the technology translates into commercial launch revenue. For AM suppliers, this is a concrete reference case in the Asia-Pacific launch market - one that moves beyond prototype demonstrations into a government-recognized technology pathway.