Momentus Inc., a US commercial space company that offers transportation and other in-space infrastructure services, has signed a contract with CONTEC Co. of the Republic of Korea to provide space transportation services for the JINJUSat-1 CubeSat.
JINJUSat-1 is spearheaded by three entities: Jinju City, Korea Testing Laboratory, and Gyeongsang National University. The satellite is targeted to launch aboard the SpaceX Transporter-9 mission no earlier than October 2023. Once in orbit, cameras mounted on the satellite will carry out a mission to take pictures of the Earth.
“The Momentus team is looking forward to working with CONTEC Co. and supporting the growth of the South Korean space industry,” said Momentus Chief Executive Officer John Rood. “We have all witnessed the impressive growth of the South Korean economy, including in high-tech fields like electronics, aviation, and the automotive industry. The South Korean government aims to inspire, and foster participation in the space economy, and Momentus is eager to support this vision. Space transportation is a foundational building block to advancing the use of space, and we’re ready to provide the infrastructure services to enable CONTEC’s ambitions for the future.”
“CONTEC is excited to work with Momentus for the national space project. JINJUSat-1 is expected to foster the local space business and train experts in the space field. We are proud to take part in this project and to put their satellite into orbit,” said CONTEC Chief Executive Officer Sunghee Lee. “With its global network of ground stations, CONTEC is also discussing with the government to use the ground station capability to serve more national projects and contribute to the growth of the domestic space industry.”