Amazon Web Services (AWS) said on Sept. 9 it is launching a four-week 'AWS Space Accelerator: Korea 2026' programme with the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) and MegazoneCloud to support South Korean space and satellite startups.

Through the programme, AWS will support South Korean space and satellite startups with cloud and AI technology, hands-on labs, technical mentoring and business coaching by industry experts. The programme, supported through AWS Activate, provides cloud resources and business support needed for startup growth.

Now in its sixth year since launching in 2021, AWS Space Accelerator is a global programme that has supported space startups in building and scaling their businesses based on cloud technology in the United States, Australia, India and Japan, among other places. Participating companies receive AWS credits, technical mentoring from AWS experts and partners, business coaching from space industry leaders, and networking opportunities with venture capital firms and potential customers.

For the Korea programme, KASA will help discover promising South Korean space startups, while MegazoneCloud will support programme operations and strengthen technical capabilities through hands-on labs and one-on-one technical mentoring. Company K Partners will provide investment strategy coaching to help participating startups present their results to space agencies, investors and industry leaders at a Jeju Pitch Day.

Des Baxter (데스 백스터), head of AWS Aerospace and Satellite for Asia Pacific and Japan, said, "The Korean space industry is at an inflection point, and AWS wants to support startups in building solutions across a range of applications." He added, "Through AWS Space Accelerator, we will support the growth of these startups and help them secure competitiveness in global markets by combining cloud and AI technologies with practical mentoring and business coaching. This programme directly supports the goals set out in the South Korean government's strategy to foster the aerospace industry: increasing its share in the global space economy and building a private sector-led aerospace industry foundation. AWS considers it meaningful to be able to work with KASA and MegazoneCloud to realise this vision."