Air Force opens space intelligence center

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Choi Cha-gyu, left, and other officers celebrate the opening of the ROK Air Force Space Operations Center at the Gyeryongdae military headquarters, South Chungcheong Province, Wednesday. / Courtesy of Air Force

By Jun Ji-hye

The Air Force opened a space intelligence center Wednesday as part of efforts to develop its operation capabilities in space.

The ROK Air Force Space Operations Center is tasked with receiving real-time information on what’s happening in space from the United States, and sharing it with related institutes here.

Toward that end, Air Force signed an agreement for cooperation with the Korea Meteorological Administration; Korea Aerospace Research Institute; Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute; Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology; and KT’s satellite unit KTSAT.

The information to be shared will include distances and collision probabilities between satellites and space debris, whether satellites deviate from regular orbit, which satellites pass through the Korean Peninsula, and space weather.

It is the first-ever state-run space situation room of the nation, and was set up at Gyeryongdae military headquarters, South Chungcheong Province.

The establishment came as Seoul’s Defense Ministry and Washington’s Pentagon signed an MOU in September of last year.

The MOU stipulates that respective agencies in charge of the mission are ROK Air Force and U.S. Strategic Command.

Air Force explained that the center will closely analyze space intelligence and consult with the concerning institutes about which actions should be taken in accordance with every situation.

“By doing so, it will be possible for the government to make preparations for unexpected accidents such as the recent fall of the Russian supply spacecraft Progress,” the Air Force said in a release.

“It is very significant to monitor space situations and share such information because if satellites are in trouble due to space’s bad weather or collision with space debris, all weapons operated by global positioning system (GPS) become useless.”

Air Force noted that setting up the center is its first step among three to secure its operational ability in space.

As a first step, Air Force is eventually aimed at launching a platoon in charge of the electronic optic satellites surveillance system by 2020.

Then, it seeks to secure the nation’s independent ability to cope with risk factors in space by securing the satellite laser ranging (SLR) system and the early-warning satellite by 2030. The platoon will be expanded to the squadron in this stage.

“The U.S. would not give full information about the space to us. This is why we need to develop our own ability,” an Air Force official said on the condition of anonymity.

In its final step, Air Force will give efforts to create a space command and carry out actual operations in space by 2040.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Choi Cha-gyu stressed, “Air Force will take the opening of the center as an opportunity of making a step forward to realize its vision in space.”

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