Hanwha and KAIST to Nurture Future Space Talent... Recruiting for 5th “Cosmic Pebbles” Program

Space Project for Middle School Students
Mentoring by KAIST Faculty,
Opportunities to Visit Overseas Space Agencies

Hanwha Group, in partnership with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), is recruiting participants for the 5th cohort of the “Cosmic Pebbles” program, a future-focused space talent development initiative. The application period runs until June 12, 2026.

Recruitment Poster for the 5th Cohort of Space Pebbles. Hanwha

This year’s program theme is “Space Technology for Korea.” Any 7th or 8th grade student from middle schools nationwide is eligible to apply.

“Cosmic Pebbles” is an educational program designed to support young students in developing their curiosity and creativity in the space field, helping them grow into future space experts. Participating students will work under the guidance of professors from KAIST’s Department of Aerospace Engineering, as well as graduate student mentors, to carry out the entire process: ▲selecting a topic ▲elaborating their ideas ▲producing results.

Launched in 2022, “Cosmic Pebbles” has produced around 130 graduates to date. Past cohorts have explored subjects such as ▲Moon exploration ▲Mars exploration ▲Space technology for Earth ▲Exploration beyond the solar system.

The selection process consists of a first-round essay screening and a second-round discussion and interview stage, through which 30 finalists will be chosen. Applications can be submitted through the Hanwha Space Hub website.

The selected students will participate in team-based space mission projects for approximately six months, from July to December 2026. Graduates will receive ▲a certificate of completion signed by the KAIST president ▲opportunities to take courses at the KAIST Academy for Gifted Students ▲mentoring from KAIST faculty.

Notably, last year’s graduates visited several overseas space agencies, including NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where they interacted with local researchers.

Hanwha Group is expanding its aerospace business, building on achievements such as Hanwha Aerospace’s successful fourth launch of the Nuri rocket and the establishment of the Jeju Space Center by Hanwha Systems last year.

A Hanwha representative stated, “Cosmic Pebbles is a social contribution initiative aimed at fostering competitiveness in the future space industry,” adding, “By nurturing future space science talent, we aim to help strengthen national competitiveness.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.