South Korea’s New Space Agency, KASA, Launched! A Look at the Prospects for Realizing a Space Economic Powerhouse from the Perspective of Optical Communication — Latest Trends in Space Business: ISS 2024 — PartⅠ
(This article can be read in 4 minutes.)
The International Space Summit (ISS) 2024 was held in Seoul, the capital of South Korea, from June 11th to 13th, 2024. ISS is a conference hosted by CONTEC, a South Korean space startup, since 2023, and it has attracted over 600 space business professionals. Warpspace CSO Hirokazu Mori, participated in the conference, delivering a keynote speech and participating in a panel discussion on “Optical Communication” and “Quantum Communication.” This article will delve into two topics that Mori found particularly noteworthy from the news announced at the conference: “The Establishment of South Korea’s New Space Agency, KASA” and “South Korea’s Optical Communication Ground Station.”
(For “Part Ⅱ: Quantum Communication in Space”, click here.)
Launch of the Korean version of NASA, KASA! What are its aims?
On May 27, 2024, the Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA) was established. The establishment of this new space agency was one of the key election promises of the Yoon administration. This plan, which was also included in the space roadmap announced in 2022, has finally been realized. Other announcements included the development of a next-generation rocket engine for lunar exploration within five years and a plan to land on Mars by 2045. At the inauguration ceremony held on May 30, the South Korean government further revealed that it would invest a massive budget of 100 trillion won (approximately 10 trillion yen) in space development, aiming to foster over 2,000 aerospace companies and create 500,000 jobs. This is about ten times the amount of the “Space Strategy Fund,” a technical development support budget for the Japanese space sector that will start accepting applications from businesses in July 2024, totaling 1 trillion yen over ten years. This demonstrates the South Korean government’s determination to expand its space industry.
Looking back at South Korea’s recent space development efforts, in August 2022, they successfully launched their first lunar orbiter, “the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO)” (affectionately known as “Danuri”), using SpaceX’s Falcon 9. Furthermore, in May 2023, they successfully launched their fully domestically developed rocket, “Nuri,” marking their third launch. Their next goal is to achieve the first robotic lunar landing by 2032. KASA will take over the space development programs previously led by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) and, under the supervision of the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT), will integrate and manage national budget-funded space development programs. The first director appointed was Yoon Young-bin, a former professor of aerospace engineering at Seoul National University. At the inauguration ceremony, Young-bin expressed his determination, stating, “The establishment of KASA is a milestone for South Korea to become a space economic powerhouse.” (*1)
And regarding the name “KASA,” Mori states,
“It is likely that by deliberately overlapping with NASA, they indicate a friendly relationship with the United States. This can also be inferred from the fact that they are setting Mars exploration as one of their goals, similar to NASA’s Artemis program.”
References
(*1【Korea Joongang Daily】 ‘Korean NASA’ opens its doors)
(*2【KASA】)
Private Sector to Establish Optical Communication Ground Station? South Korea’s Strategy to Expand the Space Industry from the Security Sector
President Yun also stated in 2022,
“The US-Korea alliance will be expanded into a US-Korea space alliance, and cooperation with the international community on space security will also be expanded,” (*2),
and has long emphasized the benefit of strengthening cooperation with the U.S. in the security sector. In modern defense strategies, obtaining real-time data from space and high-capacity communication are essential elements. In this context, optical communication technology, which offers high communication speeds and robust security, is attracting particular attention.
Optical communication data transmission speeds are significantly faster than conventional radio communication, enabling the instantaneous transmission of large volumes of data. Another advantage of optical communication is its high level of security. Optical communication utilizes highly focused beams, making it less susceptible to external interference compared to radio communication, which has a wider beam spread, thereby reducing the risk of data interception. This ensures the secure delivery of critical space data to Earth. By employing this technology, we can expect a significant improvement in the security of data communication from space.
CONTEC, the organizer of this event, plans to construct a ground station on Jeju Island, South Korea, which is essential for optical communication.
Regarding this, Mori commented,
“While optical communication is being pursued by various countries, there are not many countries where private companies are involved in the manufacturing and operation of ground stations. This reflects South Korea’s strong commitment to developing its space industry.”
Establishing a ground station within one’s own country is crucial for security. By managing data domestically, access from external sources can be restricted, minimizing the risk of information leaks. The ground station to be established on Jeju Island will serve as a central hub of South Korea’s dual-use security and civilian space communications.
References
(*2【SPACENEWS】South Korean leader eyes “landing on the moon in 2032, Mars in 2045”)
(*3【Warpspace】WarpHub InterSat)
(*4【CONTEC】About us)
In recent years, there has been a surge in space development activities across Asia. In 2023, India’s Chandrayaan-3, Japan’s SLIM, and China’s Chang’e-6 successfully landed on the moon in June 2024. South Korea is expected to follow suit and focus on further advancements in space exploration. With the establishment of KASA and the promotion of optical communication, the world is watching to see how South Korea’s space industry will evolve.
(Writer: Natsumi Kawaguchi)
