Press release
Cosmo Bee Appoints Satellite Propulsion Expert Yeonho Kim as Head of R&D Center, Accelerating Hall Thruster Commercialization
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Satellite electric-propulsion startup Cosmo Bee announced on July 22 that it had appointed space propulsion-system expert Yeonho Kim as its new Head of R&D Center to accelerate its product launch and business growth.
Kim is Korea’s only space-propulsion expert with hands-on experience across the entire electric-propulsion-system lifecycle, from development and satellite integration to launch and operation. He led space propulsion-system research and development at Satrec Initiative’s Space Business Division for 18 years. Since 2008, he has specialized in electric propulsion systems, successfully integrating and operating them on major Korean and international satellites, including DubaiSat-2 and DEIMOS-2.
Cosmo Bee plans to complete Honeybee, its Hall-thruster system for microsatellites weighing up to 200 kilograms, by the end of 2026. Honeybee was installed on the 3U CubeSat K-HERO, which flew aboard Nuri’s fourth launch in November 2025.
Yeonho Kim, newly appointed Head of R&D Center at Cosmo Bee
The company expects Kim’s extensive field experience applying Hall thrusters to actual satellite systems to improve product maturity and strengthen its competitiveness in securing space-industry contracts.
With Kim’s appointment, Cosmo Bee will begin full-scale product commercialization and Series A fundraising. The company plans to sequentially pursue key national projects and in-space validation initiatives, including △ establishment of a dedicated electric-thruster assembly and testing facility, △ preparation for Honeybee’s 2027 in-space validation mission, △ in-space validation of hollow-cathode technology through Nuri’s fifth launch, and △ development of a Hall-thruster power conversion and control unit as a payload for Device and Component In-Space Validation Satellite No. 3 aboard Nuri’s sixth launch.
“Cosmo Bee is a space propulsion-system specialist comprising Korea’s leading electric-thruster experts and possesses core technologies for orbital flight,” Kim said. “Drawing on my experience, I will contribute to technology commercialization and the company’s growth.”
“Kim is the only expert in Korea with unrivaled full-lifecycle experience in satellite electric-propulsion systems,” Cosmo Bee CEO Dongha Park said. “At this stage, as we pursue integration into operational satellites and product commercialization, his capabilities will become Cosmo Bee’s strongest asset.”
Original article : Cosmo Bee Appoints Satellite Propulsion Expert Yeonho Kim as Head of R&D Center, Accelerating Hall Thruster Commercialization