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Staff Reporter
South Korea is considering joining international programs aimed at exploring the moon, as part of efforts to build up the country's space development capabilities, President Lee Myung-bak said Monday.
"Many countries are strengthening collaboration on large-scale space development programs, including one to explore the moon. The administration is also seeking to join such efforts," Lee said in a speech marking the opening of the 60th International Astronautical Congress.
Some 3,000 scientists, businessmen and government policymakers from 70 countries are participating in the international meeting, which will continue through Friday in Daejeon.
The country is now actively participating in the Star Program, a joint satellite development program by Asia-Pacific nations, and Sentinel Asia, a regional initiative to share satellite data for disaster control, President Lee said.
"The international community should share space technologies to find solutions to common challenges, such as climate change, poverty and hunger," Lee said.
"Korea has competitive edges in information technology and nano and bio industries. If the country uses these technologies for space development, we will be able to contribute a lot to the world."
According to the government's space development roadmap, Korea will send an unmanned probe to orbit the moon by 2020 and land another on its surface in 2025.
The country is a late starter in the space exploration field. It has sent around a dozen communication and research satellites into orbit, but they were all carried on foreign-launched rockets.
jj@koreatimes.co.kr
