November 2025 saw a delegation from the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) from Daejeon, South Korea, visit the Collaborative Research Centre 1667 ATLAS in Stuttgart. The delegation comprised Dr. Choon Woo Lee, Dr. Hyunsu Lim, and Dr. Jeongheum Im, whose respective research interests intersect with a wide variety of topics being studied both within the CRC ATLAS and elsewhere at the University of Stuttgart.
The group exchanged extensively with ATLAS researchers such as apl. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Georg Herdrich, who, together with members of his team, presented on their ongoing research on Atmosphere-Breathing Electric Propulsion (ABEP). This was followed by discussions with Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sabine Klinkner and members of her team on VLEO satellite systems research and operations. In addition, the delegation exchanged with researchers at the Institute of Space Systems (IRS) investigating further topics of mutual interest such as solar sails and planetary sun shade concepts.
The delegation's visit was rounded off by a special guest lecture held in the context of the ATLAS Academy, wherein the team members initially learned much about KARI's ongoing space exploration and research activities in general from Dr. Lee, followed by a deep dive into KARI's ongoing VLEO Satellite System Design Study given by Dr. Lim. The presentations were followed by productive discussions on various subtopics, sparking future exchanges.
