Kolon SpaceWorks targets space and defense markets with homegrown tow prepreg

Kolon SpaceWorks, the advanced composite materials arm of Kolon Group, is accelerating its push into the space and defense markets on the strength of its independently developed tow prepreg, following earlier inroads in the mobility sector.

The company announced Thursday that it will supply composite pressurized tanks for Sevit, a multipurpose suborbital rocket scheduled for launch Monday from the Alcantara Space Center in Brazil. The announcement comes after Kolon SpaceWorks supplied components for Innospace's test launch vehicle Hanbit-TLV in 2023.

The company will also supply pressurized tanks, combustion chamber liners and other key components for Hanbit-Nano, a small satellite launch vehicle slated for launch in November.

Tow prepreg is an intermediate material in which resin — an adhesive substance — is pre-impregnated into carbon fiber. It determines the performance of the final component.

The material is used across a broad range of composite parts manufactured through filament winding, including high-pressure vessels such as hydrogen storage containers and CNG fuel tanks, as well as launch vehicle motor cases, pressurized tanks and structural components for guided weapons.

Because these applications must withstand harsh operating conditions — high pressure, extreme heat and intense vibration — they demand precise material design and consistent quality control. The high technical barriers involved have allowed a small number of foreign companies to dominate the market. To build a stable domestic supply chain, Kolon SpaceWorks began development in 2018 and has since achieved technological self-reliance.

Before applying the material to launch vehicles, Kolon SpaceWorks validated tow prepreg's real-world performance and quality reliability by using it in the mass production of hydrogen storage containers for Tata Daewoo Mobility's hydrogen engine trucks.

The company has continuously refined its product using data accumulated during mass production, and says it has secured competitiveness equal to or greater than that of leading global players across key specifications.

Kolon SpaceWorks plans to use its space launch achievements as a springboard to expand into the defense sector. The company recently completed its own research and development for defense applications and intends to strengthen its position in the advanced defense market, where high-performance composite materials are essential.

"By completing research and development for defense applications using our independently developed tow prepreg, we have laid the groundwork to continuously expand the localization of core materials and components," Kolon SpaceWorks CEO Ahn Sang-hyun said. "Going forward, we will strengthen our product competitiveness to a global level in advanced industries such as space and defense."