Hanwha Group and KAIST Launch the Fifth Cohort of Space Talent Program ‘Space Pebble’

The fifth cohort of ‘Space Pebble,’ a space talent development program jointly created by Hanwha Group and KAIST, has officially begun its journey.

Designed to identify and nurture outstanding students from first- and second-year middle school classes nationwide and strengthen the competitiveness of South Korea’s space industry, Space Pebble will offer training through the end of the year under the theme of ‘Space Technology for Korea’ with professors from KAIST’s Department of Aerospace Engineering and others. Hanwha selected 30 students for the fifth cohort after essay screening and debate-style interviews.

The first session, held on the 25th at Hanwha Building in Janggyo-dong, Jung District, Seoul, was a ‘space humanities conference’ where students met experts from the space industry, including science communicators, space scientists and researchers, to hear their stories, ask questions and take part in discussions.

The first lecturer, science communicator Orbit, met with students under the theme of ‘technologies for coexistence in space.’ Students examined the technologies needed for long-term survival in space and the challenges that must be solved, learning that space exploration is a process of creating new ways of life.

Space law expert attorney Ahn Young-shin delivered a lecture on the theme, ‘Which country’s laws apply in space?’ She examined various situations that could arise in outer space, where borders are meaningless, from the perspective of law and institutions, and explained that space development is a process in which the international community creates new rules together.

This year, Orbit and three KAIST professors in charge of Space Pebble also joined as panelists for a space science talk concert. Students asked questions about space that they had long been curious about, and the panel responded from different perspectives. Through the discussion, the students shared their views and thoughts on space science.

Next month, students will broaden their perspective on space through the second space humanities conference. They will receive education on policies and social changes surrounding the space industry from Ahn Hyung-joon, head of the Space Public Team at the Science and Technology Policy Institute (STEPI), and Kim Sang-kyun, chief professor of the AI Business major at Kyung Hee University’s College of Business Administration.

Students who complete the Space Pebble program will receive benefits including a certificate issued in the name of the KAIST president, opportunities to take courses at the KAIST Gifted Education Center, KAIST mentoring, and a chance for all participants to visit overseas space agencies.

A Hanwha Group official said, “The space industry requires a single solution spanning launch vehicles, satellite manufacturing and operations, and because of its strong connection to AI, the global trend is for space companies to become larger and more integrated. Through Space Pebble, it is highly meaningful that Hanwha Group, a leading Korean space company, is taking on the role of nurturing talent for the space industry.”

Kim So-hyung, compact@sportschosun.com

This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.