Korea to hold tabletop exercise against space hazards
Researchers at Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) conduct a final check of Danuri at the institute's headquarters in Daejeon in May. Courtesy of KARI
Korea will stage a joint tabletop exercise (TTX) between its military and government officials Wednesday against potential dangers from space, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.
The TTX will be joined by officials from the military, the defense and science ministries, and other state-run space research centers, such as the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, according to the JCS.
It will take place with a focus on bolstering the country's response system against dangers from space and strengthening coordination between the military and space-related agencies. It marks the first time the military will host the exercise, regularly held under the science ministry.
During the session, participants will discuss response and coordination measures in a range of scenarios, such as a retired satellite crashing into the Korean Peninsula, a satellite colliding with space debris, and changes in space climate due to solar activity.
"Considering the growing number of space objects, we will strengthen detection and tracking capabilities against them ... and strengthen response capabilities against dangers from space," the JCS said in a release.
The exercise comes amid growing attention to possible dangers from space.
In January, the science ministry raised the alarm over a retired U.S. satellite possibly crashing into the Korean Peninsula. It ended up falling into waters near Alaska. (Yonhap)