South Korean private launch vehicle company Innospace (462350) said Wednesday that it signed a launch services distribution agreement with U.S.-based Ensemble Commercial Services, strengthening its sales foothold in the North American market.
The deal marks Innospace’s second launch services partnership in the United States, following an agreement signed last August with Arrow Science and Technology in Texas.
Under the agreement, Ensemble Commercial Services will identify potential customers in the United States, including satellite companies, space startups and research institutions, and connect them with demand for Innospace’s small-satellite launch services.
The company will also provide regular market intelligence on trends in the U.S. satellite industry and launch demand, as well as potential customer activity, while supporting Innospace’s business operations in the American market.
Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., Ensemble Commercial Services is an AI-driven digital services company that has recently expanded into the launch services sector.
Leveraging mission management capabilities in launch service procurement, payload integration and launch operations support, the company has been actively pursuing business development opportunities in the space industry. It also provides digital solutions, data analytics, AI and machine learning, and cloud-based systems development services to government agencies, including NASA.
With the latest agreement, Innospace has secured launch services sales partnerships with nine companies across seven countries, including Taiwan, Japan, Italy, the Netherlands, the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom.
Building on this network, the company plans to establish a global sales network linking major space industry hubs across Asia, Europe and North America, while strengthening sales efforts to identify demand for small-satellite launches worldwide through expanded engagement with regional customers.
Kim Soo-jong, chief executive officer of Innospace, said the company will use the second U.S. partnership as an opportunity to further advance its global sales network spanning Asia, Europe and North America. He added that the company will focus its business development efforts on expanding opportunities to offer launch services optimized for a range of customer mission requirements, including launch schedules, orbital configurations and payload conditions, with the goal of generating tangible business results.
Meanwhile, Innospace plans to conduct the second launch of its small-satellite launch vehicle, Hanbit-Nano, at the Alcântara Space Center in the third quarter of this year.
During the vehicle’s first launch in December last year, the mission was terminated early after an anomaly was detected 33 seconds after liftoff.