“Let’s open an era where we launch our satellites with our rockets.”

National Space Committee Meeting: Establishing South Korea’s Space Science Exploration Roadmap, ‘“It is important to transport our satellites using our launch vehicles.”’,
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, ‘The Space and Aeronautics Agency (Director Yoon Young-bin) held the 4th National Space Committee meeting, chaired by Vice Chairman Bang Hyo-chung, a professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, on the 25th.’,
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, ‘The National Space Committee is the highest decision-making body regarding our country’s space policy. The committee was elevated to the status of being chaired by the president with the inauguration of the Space and Aeronautics Agency on May 27th of last year.’,
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, ‘At this meeting, they reviewed and received proposals such as the revised plan for the 4th Space Development Promotion Basic Plan, South Korea’s Space Science Exploration Roadmap, the Basic Strategy for the Military Reconnaissance Satellite-II Project, and the Basic Strategy for the Military Satellite Communication System-III Project.’,
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, ‘The revised plan for the 4th Space Development Promotion Basic Plan aims to conduct a mid-term review in 2025, the third year, and reflect changes in domestic and international space development environments during the period from 2023 to 2027.’,
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Space and Aeronautics Agency in Sacheon, Gyeongsangnam-do. [Photo=Space Agency],
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, ‘While maintaining the basic framework of the existing plan for implementation until 2027, adjustments were intended to include national-level strategies in response to global paradigm shifts such as low-cost, high-frequency reusable launch vehicle development, advanced satellite development technology acquisition, and private-sector-centered space development.’,
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, ‘For drafting the revised plan, the Space and Aeronautics Agency collected opinions through expert meetings in July and August and a public hearing on September 3rd. The final review of the content was conducted at the Space Development Promotion Working Committee, held under the main committee on September 26th.’,
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, ‘As the revised plan takes shape, it is expected to solidify the policy foundation for key space development projects, like the national priority reusable launch vehicle development, and to gain momentum on support projects such as the New Space Fund and the introduction of related systems to foster a nationwide private sector-centered space industry ecosystem.’,
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, ‘South Korea’s space science exploration roadmap is crafted with middle- and long-term goals and specific execution strategies for space science exploration up until 2045. This comes as space exploration has surged to become a pivotal area in the future economy, transcending simple scientific inquiry, aiming to foster and support industrial development to achieve K-Space with domestic technology.’,
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, ‘In the roadmap, the Space Agency presented a vision for making South Korea one of the top five aerospace nations, expanding human knowledge and outer space economic territory. To achieve this vision, they plan to focus on programs such as low Earth orbit and microgravity research, lunar exploration, solar and space science, planetary exploration, and astrophysics.’,
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, ‘Additionally, the committee provided strategies for projects like the next Military Reconnaissance Satellite-II and the Military Satellite Communication System-III, offering a platform to discuss and coordinate various cross-ministry space development policies, including civilian-military cooperation.’,
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, ‘Vice Chairman Bang Hyo-chung stated, “It is a time when policies and systems should not follow the environment but anticipate and embrace it. We hope the government will strive to swiftly incorporate environmental changes into major space development policies, such as the upcoming 5th Space Development Promotion Basic Plan.”’,
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, ‘Secretary General Yoon Young-bin of the Space Agency remarked, “Through the planned fourth launch of Nuri on the 27th, an era where ‘our satellites are launched by our vehicles’ will begin.” He added, “The national space development policy will be pursued to provide reliability and security to the people while adapting flexibly and swiftly to the environment, and I will support the committee’s function as the overarching control tower for policy coordination.”’,
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