-Building strong space ecosystem with self-survival capability-
Prime Minister Kim Bookyum hosted the 21st National Commission on Space at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) on November 15, which was the first meeting for him to attend as the Commissioner.
This conference was held under the consensus that the space development started with US-Soviet Union conflict during the Cold War, but now we reached the ‘New Space’ era where private sector leads the industry in New Businesses such as space internet and space tour, and the era where people’s everyday lives are closely connected to the space technology, such as MRI, CT, or water purifier. Together with the commissioner Kim Bookyum, five government officials and seven private sector experts participated to agree on the National Commission’s Space operation plans.
The ‘operation plans’ states that in order to manage and arrange the space policies that are expanding to become comprehensive policies that incorporate security, industry, and foreign affairs, the Commissioner will be changed from the Minister of Ministry of Science and ICT to Prime Minister.
The government presented space development roadmap to advance Korea’s space technology and industry through mid-to-long term industry nurturing strategies, with a goal to open space business era in 10 years. This is to make specific action plans to improve Korea’s space industry capability, which is in early stage of development compared to the fast- growing global space industry in the New Space era.
The major content in space industry nurturing strategies are as follows.
- Nurturing Korea’s space industry through improving infrastructure and enhancing Korea’s technology in space field where it is not easy to adopt overseas technology. With public development, Korea will develop approximately total 170 satellites from year 2022 to 2031, and launch approximately 40 domestic launch vehicles in connection with the satellites in order to widen the opportunities of Korean space development projects. Particularly, to support various ideas of private companies, Naro Space Center will be equipped with launch site designated for private sectors. Also, we plan to establish space industry cluster for launch vehicles, satellites and materials as a space industry hub.
- To help private companies to participate in space development without worries, we will adopt policies that can improve environment and realize creative and innovative ideas. We will gradually introduce contracts from the point companies acquired technical competences. To reduce the burden of private sectors and encourage them to participate in space development without worries, we can reduce or waive fees. Also, we will designate education centers and run various training programs to nurture space experts, and pursue content design and distribution to guide future generation to understand space better.
- We will cultivate the New Businesses regarding satellite information industry which accounts for the majority of space related industry, and support businesses through expanding the access to satellite information. From the year 2022, in order to help SMEs with innovative ideas, we will support business demonstration of microsatellites.
The government is initiating Korean Positioning System (KPS) development in the year 2022 to provide ultra-precise positioning, navigation, and timing information as the fourth industry revolution infrastructure. Positioning system provides positioning, navigation, and timing information using multiple satellites, and it is the technology serving as the foundation for transportation, communication, economy, and overall society as well as the core infrastructure of the New Business of the fourth industry revolution such as autonomous driving and Urban Air Mobility (UAM).
KPS is the biggest project in the history of Korea. It will develop and establish satellite, ground, and user system required for positioning service provision, with total 3,723,450 million KRW budget in 14 years from 2022 to 2035. Also, active technology transfer from Government Funded Research Institute to private industries and nurturing service industry using KPS ultraprecision location, navigation, and timing services will contribute to vitalizing space industry.
With KPS in place, nation’s major infrastructure such as finance, electric power, communication, and transportation network will be secured in cases of emergency. KPS will be able to provide ultraprecise services in centimeter level, and it will serve as foundation for New Businesses such as autonomous driving or UAM. The Korean government will actively support satellite information service industry, with KPS playing pivotal role.
Prime Minister Kim Bookyum emphasized that “despite the short history of space industry development, Korea has launched Nuri rocket, built with our own hands in our land, and became the world’s seventh country with the ability to launch its own over-one-ton satellite into the space. In addition, he mentioned that “space powerhouses are opening a new chapter for space business era by going beyond space technology development,” and further declared that “today, we will focus all our policy capacity aiming to build space industry ecosystem with strong self-surviving ability as our next goal.”
Private sector participants also agreed that “we need to take this opportunity to grow in overall field of space industry of Korea and to produce additional value and infrastructure”, and “in building private sector launch site, relative government agencies and private sectors should cooperate closely.”
In addition, Prime Minister Kim once again mentioned the deep impression Nuri rocket gave to the Korean people, and emphasized that the government will do its best to proceed with the space development plans such as the second test launch of Nuri rocket (May) and lunar orbiter (August) without any setbacks.
For further information, please contact Spokesperson for foreign media KIM Hee-Hyun (E-mail: coro0131@korea.kr, 82-44-202-4027) of the Ministry of Science and ICT.
Please refer to the attached PDF