SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea has signed a contract with SpaceX to launch the GEO-KOMPSAT-3 multipurpose communications satellite to geostationary orbit in the second half of 2027, the nation’s newly established Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) this month.
South Korea’s Growing Partnership with SpaceX
The agreement is the latest in a series of launch contracts South Korea has clinched with the Elon Musk-owned space company for its key space missions. The nation’s first robotic lunar orbiter launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in August 2022. Two of the five military reconnaissance satellites involved in the “425 Project” were launched on Falcon 9 rockets in December 2023 and April 2024, respectively, with the remaining three scheduled to launch SpaceX through 2025.
The GEO-KOMPSAT-3 Mission
GEO-KOMPSAT-3, the 3.7-ton satellite to be launched under the latest deal, is also known as Chollian-3. Designed to replace the aging GEO-Kompsat-1 launched in 2010, Chollian-3 will feature advanced payloads for communications, disaster prevention, maritime safety and the safe flight of aircraft, according to KASA’s Aug. 8 statement. The satellite’s development began in 2021 with a budget of 411.8 billion won ($309 million). While the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) is responsible for developing the satellite bus, Korea’s Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) is in charge of the payloads. Among the private partners involved is Thales Alenia Space, which will provide a fully reprogrammable Digital Processor for the satellite’s Ka-band broadband communication system payload.
“The development of a multipurpose geostationary communications satellite will play a role in advancing the nation’s technologies for GEO satellites,” said Kim Jin-hee, head of KASA’s satellite directorate, in the statement. “It will also enhance the country’s safety by providing satellite communication services for disaster prevention and public safety.”
KASA’s Vision for Space Development
KASA is simultaneously developing a ‘positioning paper,’ due out this year, to outline new plans to bolster the competitiveness of its four key business fields: space transportation, satellites, space science and exploration, and aeronautics. KASA Deputy Administrator Roh Kyung-won said these plans would build upon the agency’s first policy paper published in May, with new elements designed to enhance the private sector’s role in the nation’s space development.
Among the ambitious projects proposed in KASA’s first policy paper are the development of a partially reusable launch vehicle, very-high-resolution imaging satellites with a resolution of 15 centimeters, and the construction of a second national launch site. However, realizing these big-budget projects is contingent upon securing parliamentary approval, leaving their future uncertain.
