S. Korea to establish low-Earth orbit communications network by 2035
Seoul, July 3
South Korea aims to establish a low-Earth orbit satellite communications network composed of hundreds of satellites by 2035 and accelerate the country's first lunar landing to 2030, the state-run space agency said on Friday.
The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) unveiled the plan during a public briefing on advanced industry development held in the southeastern city of Jinju. The strategy was approved earlier in the day by the National Space Council, chaired by President Lee Jae Myung, reports Yonhap news agency.
KASA said building the network will help strengthen South Korea's domestic satellite and launch vehicle development and manufacturing ecosystem as the country pushes to build its own version of SpaceX's Starlink network.
"Leading space nations are making all-out efforts to build low-Earth orbit satellite communications networks, which are critical infrastructure for safeguarding national security and communications sovereignty, as well as a strategic foundation for the 6G era," KASA Administrator Oh Tae-seok said.
KASA also aims to bring forward South Korea's first lunar landing to 2030, two years ahead of schedule.
Instead of waiting for the next-generation launch vehicle, which is scheduled to debut in 2032, the government plans to send a privately developed small lunar lander aboard the three-stage Nuri rocket in 2030.
Oh also said South Korea plans to launch a lunar communications orbiter in 2029 and an Earth-moon scientific exploration probe in 2031 to lay the groundwork for an expanded lunar exploration programme.
Meanwhile, South Korea planned to dispatch a public-private delegation to Europe in a bid to broaden cooperation in the space sector with European nations. The delegation, jointly organised by the foreign ministry and the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), was set to hold a series of "Space Day" events in Belgium, Romania and Poland.
The dispatch was designed to boost space cooperation with members of the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), as well as key Eastern European countries.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Impressive timeline moving forward. South Korea's space ambitions are growing fast. LEO satellite networks will be a game changer for global connectivity. Competition with Starlink will drive innovation. Let's see if India can keep pace.
South Korea is moving fast. But I'm a bit concerned about the costs involved in building this network. For a country like India, we need to be careful with taxpayer money. Still, good to see Asian nations taking lead in space tech. 🇮🇳🚀
Interesting. South Korea wants to put a lander on moon by 2030 using private rockets. That's ambitious. Meanwhile, our Chandrayaan missions have done well but we need more private players. ISRO can't do everything alone. Need more startups like Skyroot and Agnikul.
South Korea collaborating with EU and NATO is smart. Space is becoming a geopolitical tool too. India should also strengthen space ties with friendly nations. The 6G race is real. LEO satellites will be backbone for future communications. Hope we don't lag behind.
This is great for South Korea. But I wonder how they will fund all this. Space is expensive. Also, we need to ask: is this the right priority when there are other pressing issues? Still, technology drives progress. India should take note but not blindly copy.
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