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Korean Air, France's Exotrail sign MOU for orbit transfer vehicle development

Published: 03 Apr. 2026, 12:28

Kim Kyung-nam, left, managing vice president and head of the Korean Air R&D Center, and Jean-Luc Maria, CEO of Exotrail, pose for a photo after signing a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the orbit transfer vehicle business at Fairmont Ambassador Seoul in Yeouido, western Seoul, on April 2. [KOREAN AIR]

Korean Air, Korea's flag carrier, said Friday it has signed a memorandum of understanding with French aerospace company Exotrail to jointly develop an orbit transfer vehicle (OTV).

Under the agreement, the companies will collaborate on value-added space services, including low Earth orbit satellite transportation, payload hosting, multi-orbit satellite deployment, and satellite life extension and refueling, Korean Air said in a press release.

They plan to establish a joint working group to discuss detailed launch plans and optimize cost structures for orbital transportation services.

"We aim to secure a leading technological edge in future defense and 'New Space' markets by combining Exotrail's proven space heritage with Korean Air's aerospace manufacturing capabilities," a Korean Air official said.

Korean Air said the partnership will help it capture demand from both defense-related small satellite constellations and the commercial satellite market. Exotrail, meanwhile, seeks to strengthen its presence in Asia through the collaboration.

An OTV is designed to transport small satellites from a primary launch vehicle to their designated orbits with high precision. Its importance has grown as demand increases for deploying multiple small satellites in a single launch.

Yonhap