Korean aerospace startup Unastella, which develops private launch vehicles for suborbital and orbital launches, attracted 24 million dollars and now his total investment volume is 44 Millions of dollars. In the future, the company aims to become the first private structure in South Korea, that will carry out manned space flights.
Company, which was founded four years ago and is based in Seoul, in May 2025 року провела перший запуск ракети UNA EXPRESS-I. Це було повноцінне випробування всієї системи від дизайну до польотних даних. Команда Unastella складається всього з 22 specialists, however, it independently provides a full production cycle: from engine development to ground operations management and telemetry. The startup's founder and CEO Jae Park previously worked on engines for Korea's Nuri rocket at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, then at the German Aerospace Center in Berlin, and later returned to Korea and decided to start his own company. According to him, that is not the purpose of Unastella, to build the most impressive rocket, and in that, to enter the commercial market as soon as possible.
The company's rockets run on purified kerosene and liquid oxygen. This is one of the most proven fuel combinations in the rocket industry, which is used in particular by the Falcon series from SpaceX. Instead of a traditional turbo pump, they use an electric pump, because it is a simpler and cheaper solution. It is heavier than the turbine analogue, and that means less space for satellites, however, Jae Park did it deliberately in order to enter the market faster, and not the maximum technical characteristics. The key landmark of the company is the UNA EXPRESS-II rocket, the launch of which is planned for 2027 year. Reaching the mark in 100 kilometers, which is considered the limit of space, should open the door to partnerships with major Korean aerospace and defense companies.
Source: https://universemagazine.com