KASA and NIS Co-host 2026 Satellite Application Conference
– 800+ Global Experts Gather under the theme “New Space, New Insight”– KASA Plans to Expand R&D Investment in Satellite Application– NIS 3rd Deputy Director Kim Chang-seop Highlights Importance of Satellite Information and Space Security
The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA, Administrator Taeseog Oh) and the National Intelligence Service (NIS) will jointly host the “2026 Satellite Application Conference” from Wednesday, September 2 to Thursday, September 3 at the Daejeon Convention Center.
Marking its fifth anniversary this year, the Satellite Application Conference has been held annually since 2022 to establish a cooperative ecosystem among domestic industry, academia, research institutes, and government agencies and to create synergies, as the utilization of satellite information and space technologies continues to expand. Under the theme of “New Space, New Insight,” this year’s conference will bring together more than 800 participants, including domestic and international satellite utilization companies, universities, research institutes, and government officials. The event is hosted by KASA and NIS and is organized by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI).
On the first day, the conference will begin with keynote speeches by executives from Naver Labs, Airbus D&S, Planet Labs, and ICEYE, followed by corporate sessions featuring Vantor, BlackSky, Dabeeo, TelePIX, and others. Additional sessions will cover topics including the utilization of next-generation medium-sized satellites and satellite-based disaster monitoring. On the second day, sessions will be held to share presentations from domestic and international companies, as well as satellite utilization cases from local governments, including Gyeonggi Province and Jeju Province, and the use of small satellite technologies by Korean companies and research institutes.
In particular, the conference will showcase cases of using small satellites for observing Arctic sea ice and supporting the development of Arctic shipping routes, as well as satellite utilization cases closely related to daily life, such as monitoring the cultivation and harvesting areas of major agricultural products and tracking floods, droughts, and algal blooms.
In addition, approximately 30 domestic and international companies related to satellite utilization, including Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), Hanwha Systems, and Nara Space, will operate exhibition booths throughout the event to engage with participants.
The “2026 Satellite Application Conference” is open for participation through online pre-registration and on-site registration. Further details about the event are available on the official website (https://sac2026.kr, and https://sac2026.kr/eng/ for English).
NIS 3rd Deputy Director General Kim Chang-seop said, “Satellite information is no longer limited to experts; it has become national infrastructure supporting security, disaster management, and industrial innovation,” adding, “As a leading institution in space security, the NIS will closely communicate and cooperate with industry, academia, and research institutes to promote the utilization of satellite information.”
KASA Administrator Taeseog Oh said, “Amid the major trends of New Space and artificial intelligence (AI), the utilization of vast amounts of data transmitted by satellites is emerging as a key driver of the space economy,” adding, “We will further expand R&D investment integrating satellite information and AI, establish a Korean low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications network, and actively contribute to expanding the satellite industry ecosystem beyond securing communications sovereignty.”