South Korea’s homegrown space rocket Nuri, carrying eight satellites, lifts off from Naro Space Center in Goheung, 328 kilometers south of Seoul, on May 25, 2023, in this photo provided by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 11 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s science ministry said Thursday it aims to launch a full-fledged space agency in May, with the nation seeking to join the ranks of advanced nations of spaceflight.
The planned launch of the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), which came as the National Assembly passed a set of bills this week, was one of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s campaign promises.
In line with the planned launch of KASA, the Ministry of Science and ICT said it set an ambitious target of capturing 10 percent of the global spaceflight market in 2045.
KASA will be in charge of leading the country’s space programs as well as aeronautics and space research, including moon and Mars exploration projects.
In 2022, South Korea announced its plan for spaceflight, including a project to land a spacecraft on the moon in 2032 and on Mars in 2045.
With the establishment of KASA, South Korea plans to foster more than 2,000 space-related companies and create about 500,000 new jobs, the ministry said in a statement.
(Yonhap)
