The Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA) began operations on May 27. Even before its launch, it was dubbed the “Korean NASA,” but senior academics caution against blindly following NASA’s model. They advise that Korea should develop a detailed space policy by learning from institutions or policies in countries with similar circumstances.
Aerospace engineering professors Bang Hyo-choong from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and Kim Seoung-jo from Seoul National University, in an interview with ChosunBiz on May 29, emphasized that KASA should study overseas examples that align with the scale of Korea’s domestic industry to realize a space economy. Bang is the former chairman of the Korean Society for Aeronautical and Space Sciences, and Kim is the former head of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute.
They highlighted the need for “selectivity and focus” due to Korea’s smaller budget for space endeavors compared to the United States, Europe, and Japan. NASA’s budget for the upcoming year is $25.4 billion, over 45 times larger than KASA’s budget of 758.9 billion won. Even compared to Japan’s Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), which has a budget of 212.4 billion yen, KASA’s budget is only about half.
One suggested way for KASA to maintain competitiveness with a limited budget is to focus on “profitable space ventures.” Kim pointed out that significant spending and achieving results can also be managed by the Ministry of Science and ICT, emphasizing that the main reason for establishing KASA is to find new opportunities in the space economy. Bang echoed this sentiment, suggesting that Korea needs to identify areas where it can achieve international competitiveness as a smaller entity.
Bang recommended benchmarking the U.K. Space Agency (U.K.SA). The U.K., the third country to successfully launch a satellite after Russia and the U.S., continues to host internationally recognized companies such as Airbus Defence and Space, Surrey Satellite Technology, and Reaction Engines. According to the U.K. government, the annual value generated by the U.K. space industry is approximately 16.4 billion pounds. Bang noted that the U.K. occupies about 5% of the global space market and has a well-organized cluster of industries supporting space development, making it a suitable model for Korea due to similar budget and geographical conditions.
Kim advocated for adopting policies from various countries while maintaining an independent system. For example, NASA supports seven private space companies, including Blue Origin, Northrop Grumman Corporation, and SpaceX, to boost the low Earth orbit economy. Low Earth orbit is crucial for Earth observation satellites and space data services. Kim suggested that KASA should similarly support private companies to actively venture into low Earth orbit.
Kim also highlighted the Mars project by the United Arab Emirates Space Agency (UAESA) as a reference. Instead of developing its technology independently with a large budget, UAESA collaborated with the University of Colorado, University of California, and Arizona State University to create a Mars probe. This international cooperation reduced development time and costs, allowing the UAE to become the fifth country to explore Mars.
Kim concluded that UAESA’s successful Mars mission, achieved through affordable collaboration with American universities, is a notable example. He emphasized the importance of evaluating international policies based on economic viability and efficiency rather than just technical formality, to support the space economy effectively.
