한국항공우주연구원

Korea’s New Challenge for Space
- The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) Announces the Third Master Plan for Promotion of Aerospace Development -

“Contribution to the enhancement of public safety and citizens’ quality of life”
- To kick off the small commercial satellite launch service in 2026 that will instigate the domestically developed launch vehicle in 2021
- To launch the lunar orbiter in 2020, followed by lunar landing with the domestically developed launch vehicle, and successful asteroid return in 2035
- To build the Korean satellite navigation system beginning in 2020 and launching of navigation service beginning in 2035
- To develop disaster management service with 1-hour observation interval in 2022 and continuously reduce the response time afterward
- Industry-led satellite development beginning in 2018 and creation of more than 1,500 space-related jobs in 2022

□ MSIT(Minister, You Young Min) disclosed that it held the 14th National Space Council* on February 5 to review and finalize the “3rd Master Plan for Promotion of Space Development” and “Review of Schedule for Korean Launch Vehicle Development Project and Future Plan.”

□ The finalized “3rd Master Plan for Promotion of Space Development” details the space development plan for the 5 years of the Moon Jae-in administration (2018-2022) by reflecting the change of internal and external conditions and environment since the announcement of the “Long-term Space Development Plan (2014-2040),” presenting the vision and goal for up to 2040 to ensure the consistency of policy.

ㅇ This plan was drafted by seven Subcommittees and Planning Committee composed of 96 experts from industry, academia, and research institutes in March last year and finalized through the discussion, public hearing, and consultation with agencies by the task force.

□ There was an opinion that it was necessary to enhance the confidence in the policy by resolving the temporary mismatch of the master plan and the actual development during the drafting the “3rd Master Plan for Promotion of Space Development.” Therefore, the task force reviewed the 3-stage official launch schedule of the Korean launch vehicle development project and incorporated the opinion in the Master Plan.
※ “The official launch schedule will be determined in the future after reviewing the result of the test launch and the development schedule comprehensively.” (NSC; December 22, 2016)

□ The contents of the “3rd Master Plan for Promotion of Space Development” are described as follows:

□ The 3rd Master Plan should be implemented with the final objective of “improving the public safety and the citizens’ quality of life” by moving away from the existing space development plan that emphasized the improvement of national status and the economic development. As such, it considered the balancing of the continued challenge for space and the practical and realistic space development that contributes to the two specified goals.

ㅇ The implementation strategy consists of six strategic areas: ① self-sufficiency of space launch vehicle technology; ② advancement of satellite application service and development; ③ starting space exploration; ④ implementation of Korea Positioning System (KPS); ⑤ establishment of space innovation ecosystem; and ⑥ cultivation of the space industry and creation of space-related jobs.

□ (Self-sufficiency of space launch vehicle technology) The 3-stage Korean launch vehicle for injecting a 1.5-ton practical satellite into the low-earth orbit (600-800km) will be developed, and the test launch vehicle for the verification of flight performance will be launched in October this year as originally scheduled.

ㅇ The 1st official launch of the 3-stage launch vehicle was adjusted from December 2019 to February 2021 (extension of 14 months) and the 2nd official launch from June 2020 to October 2021 (extension of 16 months). As the launch schedule was adjusted, the project period was also extended by one year (to end in March 2022 instead of March 2021).
- The main reason for the schedule adjustment is the 18-month delay in the delivery of propellant tanks due to project abandonment by the manufacturer (April 2015) and difficulty of selecting a new manufacturer (September 2016). It led to the delay of the test launch by 10 months.
- While the NSC meeting held in December 2016 decided to postpone the test launch to October this year, it could not decide on the official launch schedule due to many uncertainties. Through many inspections and troubleshooting efforts by experts, however, it finalized the official launches to be held in February and October 2021 and reflected it in the Master Plan to enhance the confidence in the policy.
※ Adjustment of official launches (1st and 2nd): October 2020 and September 2021 (2011) → December 2019 and June 2020 (2013) → February 2021 and October 2021 (2018)

ㅇ To expedite the launching of the Korean launch vehicle as much as possible, for which the whole nation is waiting the plan is to identify the processes that can be executed in parallel to the development of the propellant tank (prototype - system model - certification model - flight model) and to reduce the test schedule of each model after the assembly of the launch vehicle and the verification schedule.

ㅇ From the risk management aspect, the contingency plan of configuring the same test launch vehicle and relaunching the test launch vehicle in October 2019 if the first test launch fails was established.
- Although performing the additional launch after the failed test launch extends the official launch and project period by four months each, the official launch will be held in 2021 as scheduled if the test launch is successful.

ㅇ The Korean Launch Vehicle Implementation Division will be formed to support the official launch by inspecting the progress and providing information after the successful test launch. The consultative bodies such as the Launch Management Committee and Flight Test Committee will also be formed for technical inspection.

ㅇ The mass production system will be ready through follow-up R&D programs and continuous volume supply after the successful launch of the Korean launch vehicle so that the launch service for the private sector will be offered in 2026. The launch service of all small to medium-sized satellites will be led by the private sector beginning in 2030.

ㅇ The existing Master Plan focused on the continued expansion of propulsion to facilitate the launch of the large satellite after the development of the Korean launch vehicle, but the recent trend is to reduce the size of satellites.
- Therefore, the focus after the successful launch of the Korean launch vehicle will first be on expanding the development of the small launch vehicle (2025-2030) to launch low-cost satellites of 500kg or lighter, and then to the development of large launch vehicle to launch 3-ton static orbit satellites (2030-2040).

□ (Starting space exploration) The current Lunar Explosion Project Phase 1 (Lunar Orbiter) is scheduled for completion by 2020.

ㅇ The preliminary planning for task analysis and technology level review will begin in 2019 to kick off the Lunar Explosion Project Phase 2 (Lunar Landing) using the Korean launch vehicle early with the plan for a lunar landing in 2030.

ㅇ The experts’ opinion is that it is not scientifically significant to select the moon again as the next destination after the successful lunar landing.
- Therefore, the mission after the lunar landing is changed from moon return to asteroid return by 2035. The development of earth re-entry and docking technology, which is a highly complicated technology, will begin in 2021 to secure the strategic technologies early.

□ (Advancement of satellite service) “Mid to Long-term Strategy for the Development of Korean Satellite” will be established this year to increase the efficiency of the satellite development system, and the “Comprehensive Plan to Utilize Satellite Information” will be established to advance the satellite service in phases.

ㅇ The plan is to increase the utilization of national satellite centered on four satellite services including the national disaster crisis response service; public utility service such as marine, environment, agricultural, and fishery service; the Fourth Industrial Revolution-based service such as communications and navigation; and the precision monitoring service of the Korean Peninsula.

ㅇ Although the satellite services have focused on precision monitoring using multi-purpose practical satellites, the plan is to provide customized services by developing and utilizing satellites specialized for the specific satellite information demand.

ㅇ The national crisis response service system utilizing ultra-small satellites will be implemented by 2022 to drastically reduce the current filming interval (24 hours + α) to about one hour for the disaster service to efficiently respond to national crisis.

ㅇ The satellite navigational correction service will be implemented by 2022 to provide the precision location information service with an error range of less than 1m. The improvement of the payload performance of the multi-purpose practical satellite and the development of early warning satellite should provide the precision monitoring of the Korean Peninsula.

□ (Implementation of KPS) Korea Positioning System (KPS) that observes the vicinity of the Korean Peninsula will be implemented to secure the stable location and visual information that is the foundation for the growth
engine in the Fourth Industrial Revolution will be implemented for the service launch in 2035.

ㅇ Since the project requires a large budget and a long period between the implementation and the service, the “Preliminary Implementation Group” of experts will be formed this year to analyze the effectiveness of the advancement of the satellite navigation industry and service and review the technology level and required resources and the measures for international cooperation.

ㅇ The detailed implementation strategy will be completed by next year, and the main project with the goal of constructing the on-ground test center; developing the payload technology; and securing the spectrum will be kicked off in 2020.

□ (Establishment of space innovation ecosystem) Universities will participate in the development of (ultra-)small satellites and scientific rockets, and research institutes will participate in the development satellite payload as part of encouragement for the participation of diverse subjects in a space development project that have centered on specialized space development agencies.

ㅇ The current role of KPS, which has focused on large projects such as satellites and payloads, will be transformed in phases into the development core technologies that are difficult in the private sector and the technology verification and support for the industries to help in establishing the self-sufficient space development ecosystem.

ㅇ The “Global Space Cooperation Promotion Strategy” that reflects the capability and demand of each country will be established by the end of this year to implement the strategic and efficient international cooperation in which Korea and partnering counties mutually complement each other’s weaknesses.

□ (Cultivation of the space industry and creation of space-related jobs) The “Strategy for the Space Industry Cultivation and Space-Related Job Creation” will be established this year to transform the space development to be led by the private sector and for the space development project to lead to the promotion of the space industry and creation of space-related jobs.

ㅇ The related laws will be amended by the first half of this year to expand the participation of the private sector in the National Space Council and the Space Development Promotion Working Committee so that diverse opinions from various sectors of the society can be reflected in the space development.

ㅇ The satellite and payload system projects will be gradually transformed to industry-led manufacturing systems beginning with the sectors in which the industries have the comprehensive systems integration function to encourage participation by the private sector.
- For this purpose, the satellite development will be led by the private sector beginning with the Next-Generation Middle Size Satellite No.2 project that will be kicked off this year.
- The systems integrators will form the consortium for the development of payload, and KARI will provide the business volume including the follow-up R&D projects and additional launch (at least three times) to support the establishment of the industrial ecosystem.