South Korea
South Korean leader eyes “landing on moon in 2032, Mars in 2045”
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said Nov. 28 that the country will land a robotic spacecraft on the moon in 2032 and on Mars in 2045.
South Korea’s Danuri orbiter demonstrates ‘space internet’ en route to moon
South Korea’s robotic lunar orbiter Danuri successfully demonstrated “space internet” on its way to the moon by sending video and photo files, including a popular Korean band’s music video, at a distance of more than 1.2 million kilometers to Earth.
UK, South Korea join ASAT test ban, raising like-minded countries to seven
The United Kingdom and South Korea have pledged not to conduct direct-ascent anti-satellite (ASAT) missile testing, throwing their weight behind the U.S.-driven initiative launched in April to promote peaceful and safe use of outer space.
South Korea seeks $32.9 million to launch satellites grounded by Russia sanctions
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea’s science ministry plans to set aside 47.2 billion won ($32.9 million) in next year’s budget to launch two satellites that have been left grounded because of Western sanctions …
South Korean lunar orbiter succeeds in critical trajectory correction maneuver
South Korea’s first robotic lunar orbiter is looping back to the moon from the L1 Lagrange point after successfully conducting a critical trajectory correction maneuver Sept. 2, a milestone in its voyage toward the moon.
South Korea seeks $459 million for lunar lander project
South Korea seeks a $459 million budget to build a 1.8-ton robotic lunar lander, which it wants to send to the moon in 2031 for a one-year mission on the nation’s next-generation carrier rocket under development.
South Korea’s first lunar orbiter on way to the moon
South Korea’s first lunar orbiter has begun its voyage toward the moon on a mission critical to the country’s future space projects.
Hyundai partners with research institutes to develop vehicle for lunar surface exploration
The Korean carmaker and its sister company Kia Motors formed a consortium July 27 with six state-funded research institutes here to explore the concept of lunar exploration mobility and core technologies required.
South Korean rocket puts satellites in orbit for the first time in second flight
South Korea’s homegrown rocket KSLV-2 successfully put satellites into low Earth orbit for the first time in its second flight June 21.
South Korean ground station operator Contec raises Series C round for global expansion
Contec said June 10 that it had raised 61 billion won ($47.3 million) in a Series C funding round to pursue its goal of building a global ground station network and operating its own Earth observation satellites.
South Korea cancels Apophis probe
Citing a “lack of technical capabilities,” South Korea has dropped the plan of developing a robotic spacecraft to escort asteroid Apophis during its 2029 close encounter with Earth.
Biden vows to expand space cooperation with South Korea, Japan
U.S. President Joe Biden promised to expand space cooperation with Japan and South Korea during back-to-back summits with the leaders of two East Asian allies.
South Korea’s new president seeks independent space agency, deeper US space cooperation
South Korea’s newly elected president Yoon Suk-yeol will take office May 10 with a set of ambitious space projects aimed at making the country a major space power by 2035.
NaraSpace Technology closes $7.88 million Series A for nanosatellite project
South Korean startup NaraSpace Technology will use the $7.88 million to pursue the development of optical remote-sensing nanosatellites.
South Korea’s Innospace schedules December test launch carrying Brazilian military payload
South Korean rocket startup Innospace announced May 3 that it will conduct its first suborbital test launch of flight hardware in December from the Alcântara Space Center in Brazil, carrying a Brazilian military payload.
U.S., South Korea agree to cooperate on space situational awareness for military purposes
The SSA pact is part of a broader space security agreement reached between John D. Hill, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense for space and missile defense, and Cho Yong-geun, the South Korean defense ministry’s director of North Korea policy, during the April 25 session of the Space Cooperation Working Group (SCWG) in Washington
South Korea “welcomes” U.S. moratorium on anti-satellite missile tests; China skeptical
South Korea “welcomed” America’s self-imposed ban on direct-ascent anti-satellite (ASAT) missile tests that create orbital debris.
South Korea’s double-digit space budget boost
South Korea is boosting its space spending this year by 19% over 2021 levels as it seeks to bounce back from October’s failed attempt to prove it can put up a satellite without Russian rocket hardware.
South Korea hires SpaceX to launch five spy satellites by 2025
South Korea has signed a contract with SpaceX to launch five spy satellites by 2025, with the first launch on a Falcon 9 rocket by the end of 2023.
Russian sanctions throw South Korean satellite missions into uncertainty
South Korea, at least for now, is pushing forward with its planned launch of two satellites on Russian rockets this year. Still, it doesn’t rule out the possibility that the missions could be delayed due to sanctions imposed on Russia for invading Ukraine.
