Professor Moon-kyu Lee of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Seoul (Vice President of the Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science) noted that 120 years ago, in 1906, Reginald Fessenden, a pioneer of radio technology including amplitude modulation (AM), transmitted the maritime distress signal ‘CQ’ across the Atlantic and the Caribbean. On Christmas Eve, instead of receiving a simple Morse code, sailors on the silent seas heard sweet music and human voices. To those sailors, such transmissions were more than just signals; they were ‘light’ cast upon the dark domain, marking a historic event that incorporated the sea into humanity’s active realm.
In the early 20th century, while radio waves opened paths in the dark seas, in the 21st century, these lights are racing toward the depths of space. Regardless of how sophisticated the satellite deployed might be, if communication isn’t possible, space remains a cut-off dark world. The sole key to illuminating this darkness is ‘radio waves.’
Recently, the price of gold has been a hot topic. Gold’s intrinsic value stems from its scarcity. According to academics, gold isn’t generated within the Earth but brought to it as a ‘gift from space’ through massive cosmic events such as supernova explosions or neutron star collisions.
Similarly, radio waves, a crucial aspect of the space industry, possess their scarcity. The radio spectrum’s characteristics by bandwidth, defined by physical laws, are a limited natural resource that humans cannot artificially expand or produce anew. The Ku-band (12–18 GHz), known as the ‘golden frequency’ and the main band for satellite communications, has already reached saturation from global satellite use.
The world is currently engaged in a ‘war without gunfire’ focusing on mega space projects. SpaceX’s low-cost launch revolution heralded the New Space era and marked the beginning of competition for dominance in the space industry. Compared to 10 years ago, satellite launch costs have dropped to one-tenth, leading to an exponential increase in the number of satellites orbiting the Earth.
The space industry is projected to grow from $613 billion (approximately 900 trillion won) in 2024 to $1 trillion (about 1,500 trillion won) by the 2040s. The European Space Agency (ESA) plans the ‘Moonlight’ project to support over 400 lunar missions in the next 20 years, and NASA is pushing to establish a lunar communication network, ‘Lunanet.’ Behind these huge projects lies the essential ‘frequency resource’ for information exchange.
Despite the charter of the UN’s International Telecommunication Union (ITU) stating that frequencies and satellite orbits are limited ‘natural resources,’ reality is harsh. Nations that secure broader and more stable bandwidths and receive international protective measures will dominate the upper echelon of the space industry.
Particularly in the low-earth orbit satellite communication sector, the gap between early entrants who have gained vested rights and latecomers within international frameworks is nearly insurmountable. South Korea plans to launch over 100 ultra-small satellites by 2030, preparing for a full-scale space era.
Before building an independent satellite network, a national strategy to reliably secure satellite frequencies and orbits must be prioritized. No matter how excellent a satellite is, without ‘radio territory’ to operate it, it’s just an empty shell. Now more than ever, ‘spectrum diplomacy’ is vital to secure advantageous bandwidths within the international radio order and draw international protection for services.
Additionally, space industry policies must align with radio policies beyond manufacturing capabilities. Research on the coexistence and joint usage of satellites and terrestrial networks, as well as strategic considerations to utilize mmWave (28 GHz) bands, once reviewed for hotspot use in 5G, as core resources for satellite communications, are required. Radio waves are invisible, yet they are the sharpest pen to draw the borders of the space territory. Now is Korea’s golden time to pioneer unseen paths in the space economy.
Professor Moon-kyu Lee of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Seoul and Vice President of the Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science can be contacted at [email protected].