By Kim Tong-hyung
Staff Reporter
DAEJEON ― A space race has been underway in Asia. So far all the talk has been about China, Japan and India, but this will be the year that South Korea manifests itself as the definite fourth Asian player, according to the chief of the country's space agency.
South Korea managed to put its space aspirations on the map last year with the completion of its first launch site, the Naro Space Center, at the southwestern tip of the peninsula, and witnessed its first rocket launch there in August.
Although it was nice to finish the 2000s with a bang, this year could prove to be an even more crucial time for South Korea in the space sector, said Lee Joo-jin, who is entering his second year as president of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI).
The country is preparing three major satellite launches for this year, one involving the second trial of the Korea Space Launch Vehicle (KSLV-1) at the Naro spaceport, and is expecting a number of achievements in aerospace technology, including full-scale flight tests for KARI's "smart" unmanned aerial vehicles.
This will also be the year when the development of Korea's next-generation space rocket, the KSLV-II, is put on track.
"Last year, the country's two decades of efforts in the aerospace arena manifested visible results. Certainly, the execution of the KSLV-1 launch could have been better, but we have greatly benefited from the experience, and the data obtained and our knowledge in technology will serve as an important foundation for the future," said Lee, in an interview with The Korea Times at his KARI office.
"This year will be even more critical ― we believe Korea is ready to declare itself one of the advanced nations in space technology and we will have to prove this through the satellite launches and other major projects planned for this year. The main focus from now on is achieving a level of self-sufficiency in core technologies, rather than relying on others to do the important parts for us."
The first mission this year is the launching of the Communication, Ocean and Meteorological Satellite-1 (COMS-1), which is one of the payloads to be strapped to the Ariane-5 rocket, scheduled to be launched in March from the Guiana Space Center, the European Space Agency's (ESA) spaceport in French Guiana.
COMS-1, which is to be delivered into a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), is a multipurpose craft designed for meteorological observation and ocean surveillance. The satellite's orbital position also allows it to be used for communication purposes.
Lee believes that COMS-1 will help ease one of the biggest frustrations in daily Korean life ― the hit-or-miss weather forecasts ― and also contribute in disaster management and monitoring.
"COMS-1 will provide visible improvements in the lives of people here," Lee said.
"The problem with our meteorological system now is that we rely on information provided by Japanese satellites, which provide information updates every 30 minutes. The COMS-1 will reduce this gap to 8 to 10 minutes, which will dramatically improve the accuracy of weather reports and put the country in a better position to prevent damage from natural disasters."
Also crucial will be a successful second launch for the KSLV-1, which left mixed emotions after its maiden flight last summer.
The rocket, which relied on Russia's Khrunichev State Space Science and Production Center for its rocket engine and liquid-fuel propulsion system, was commissioned to send a 100-kilogram research satellite, the Science Technology Satellite No. 2, into orbit.
Although the KSLV-1 reached its desired speed and altitude during its Aug. 25 launch at the Naro Space Center, a malfunction of the KARI-designed second stage prevented the satellite from being released properly.
The satellite was likely burned and destroyed in the atmosphere as it crashed back to Earth.
Officials from both South Korea and Russia are currently investigating the technical problems related to the failure through their Failure Review Board, which is expect to announce its results by as early as this week, Lee said.
KARI will then hold discussions with the Khrunichev Center to schedule the second KSLV-1 launch, although a launch within the initial target month of May might prove to be difficult.
"We are currently analyzing the flight test data and conducting simulation tests at our facilities at KARI. The goal is to identify and adjust flaws, while making improvements from the original design at the same time," Lee said.
Although the KSLV-1 project garnered rapt attention, the KSLV-II, which is slated for its maiden launch in 2019, will represent a truer test of the ingenuity of Korea's rocket technology. KARI is planning to rely almost entirely on new technology to make the second rocket.
Unlike the two-stage KSLV-I, the KSLV-II will be a three-stage rocket measuring 50 meters in height and 3 meters in diameter. The first stage of the rocket will have four liquid-fuel rocket engines, each providing around 75 to 80 tons of thrust.
Another rocket engine with similar power will be installed on the second-stage of the rocket, while the third-stage, which will carry the satellite, will have a pressure-fed rocket engine generating about 5 tons of thrust.
The KSLV-II will be used to send a 1.5-kilogram satellite into a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of somewhere between 600 to 800 kilometers.
"The deal with our Russian partners bans any type of technology transfer, so despite the progress made through the KSLV-1 project, we have yet to acquire the technology necessary for building launchers," Lee said.
"But we have made advancements in this area ― we already have the technology to build rocket engines with 30 tons of thrust and are building upon this. We also plan to start the construction of a rocket engine testing facility at the Naro Space Center by the end of the year, a project that will take three to four years and cost 300 to 400 billion won."
The third crucial launch involves the Korean Multi-purpose Satellite-5 (KOMPSAT-5), which is expected to be launched in Kazakhstan by the end of the year. The satellite will be Korea's first to be equipped with SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) capability and is expected to fulfill the demand for SAR image information, which differs from optical image data provided by remote sensing satellites.
Lee said KARI is also looking to further integrate itself in international space efforts by engaging in joint projects with other major space agencies such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and ESA.
KARI reached a joint research agreement with NASA in the fields of space exploration, space science, geosciences, aerial engineering and space communication, and currently has its researchers participating in working groups.
KARI also joined with JAXA in the Satellite Technology for the Asia-Pacific Region (STAR) Program, an initiative for the development of small-sized satellites.
As with its neighboring nations, Korea's space aspirations are motivated by national pride and commercial development.
However, unlike China, Japan and India, who are considering the goals of manned spaceflights and cashing in on the expanding market for satellite launch services, South Koreans are maintaining a more modest, pick-and-choose approach.
KARI will announce its "Vision 2030" in the first half of this year to map out its future space development plans, but the most lavish project will be landing a lunar probe on the moon by 2025.
The country has no hope for a strong position in launching services and has no clear plans for manned space projects, but it is beginning to establish a niche in other areas, such as low-orbit observations satellites and technologies for unmanned vehicles, Lee said.
The advancement by Korean companies in the areas of machinery, automotives, electronics and computing technology is also giving the country an edge in developing and designing space equipment.
"Like what we are doing with COMS-1 and KOMPSAT-5, we will emphasize projects that directly change and improve the lives of people. In bigger projects, such as moon exploration or International Space Station (ISS)-related projects, we are looking to contribute through international collaboration," Lee said.