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

Korean Air, Korea's flag carrier, said Friday it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) 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 satelli