Korean Manned Space Technology Advances First in the Private Sector

Boryeong to Start HIS Challenge from the 31st
Co-Hosting Symposium in October

The ultimate frontier of space development is 'manned space technology.' Space launch vehicles like Nuriho, which successfully completed its third launch on the 25th, are ultimately just means to send humans into space. However, South Korea has made no progress since sending one astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2008. Amid this, the private sector is taking the lead in actively supporting and seeking solutions for human activities in space, attracting attention.

Boryung announced on the 30th that it has launched the ‘HIS (Humans In Space)’ program in collaboration with Axiom Space and MIT’s space research institute SEI (Space Exploration Initiative), and will co-host the HIS Challenge starting this month and the HIS Symposium in October.

Boryung has been investing in the space healthcare sector since last year, focusing on the fact that the duration of human stays in space is increasing and that a more diverse range of people are likely to remain in space. Through the ‘1st Care In Space (CIS) Challenge’ to discover and nurture startups related to space healthcare, a total of six teams were selected and invested in.

Building on the success of last year’s CIS Challenge, this year the scope of research and development is expanding to include everyday elements that humans can maintain in space and areas that apply the space environment to Earth. To this end, two additional agendas, ‘Lifestyle In Space’ and ‘Platform In Space,’ have been added alongside the existing ‘Care In Space.’ MIT SEI, which previously participated as a general partner, is now joining as a co-host, and Axiom Space, which signed a joint venture agreement with Boryung last month, is also co-hosting. Major institutions such as NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), Harvard and Stanford universities, various private companies, global medical institutions, and venture funds will participate in judging or expert sessions at the symposium.

Boryung plans to accept applications for the HIS Challenge through its official website (careinspace.com) for about two months until July 28. After document screening and an online competition in September, the selected teams will be announced. These teams will compete for the final championship through a presentation event (Demo Day) during the HIS Symposium held in the United States this October. Detailed information about the HIS Symposium and Challenge can be found on the official website.

Lim Dong-ju, head of Boryung’s NPI Group, said, “We will strengthen our network with global partners and expand the space healthcare ecosystem,” adding, “Taking this opportunity, we will advance as a leading global new space company and move one step closer to our goal of becoming a company essential to human health.”