Ministry of Science and ICT to Hold Meeting with Related Agencies on the 18th
KAIST Proposes "A Golden Opportunity for Related Technology Development"
▲UriByul 1-ho
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] Amid the buzz over China's Tianwen-1 Mars lander, the South Korean government is considering securing technology for deep space exploration through the 'Ulibyeol 1-ho' recovery project, drawing attention.
Ulibyeol 1-ho is South Korea's first satellite, launched in 1992, and holds great symbolic significance. After completing its five-year lifespan, it is currently drifting alone in space and will mark its 30th launch anniversary next year. Notably, the recovery process could yield key developments necessary for deep space exploration, such as orbital transfer, rendezvous and docking in space, robotic arms, and long-duration space propulsion technology.
On the afternoon of the 18th, the Ministry of Science and ICT held a deep space exploration expert meeting at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in Daejeon, chaired by First Vice Minister Yong Hong-taek. Attendees included KAIST President Lee Kwang-hyung, Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) President Lee Sang-ryul, and Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) President Park Young-deuk. Deep space exploration refers to space beyond the influence of Earth's gravity or magnetic field, such as the Moon, Mars, other planets, the solar system, or even interstellar exploration.
At the meeting, particular attention was given to the Ulibyeol 1-ho recovery project officially proposed last month by the KAIST Satellite Center to the Ministry of Science and ICT. The center submitted a report proposing to bring back Ulibyeol 1-ho, South Korea's first satellite, to Earth using domestic technology.
The budget is estimated at around 60 to 70 billion KRW. The project involves manufacturing a separate satellite, launching it into a 500 km orbit using the Korean-made Nuri rocket, then performing orbital transfer to approach Ulibyeol 1-ho, capturing it with a robotic arm, and bringing it back to Earth. Ulibyeol 1-ho holds significant symbolic value in South Korea's space development history. At the meeting, KAIST emphasized that the recovery project would allow the development and verification of technologies essential for deep space exploration. Although South Korea has developed and launched satellites, it has only managed to place them in orbit and has yet to secure or verify technologies, equipment, and know-how required for movement in space for missions such as lunar or Mars exploration. This project is seen as an opportunity to acquire and validate those capabilities.
Sejin Kwon, director of the KAIST Satellite Center, stated, "Ulibyeol 1-ho is currently orbiting alone at a speed of 7 km/s, about 1,500 km from Earth. By tracking and maneuvering the satellite to rendezvous and dock with it, then returning it to Earth, we can secure and verify core technologies needed for future deep space exploration." He added, "The Ministry of Science and ICT's internal stance appears positive. Securing the budget in the National Assembly remains a challenge. If all goes well, the project could start as early as 2023, with satellite development completed within three years and the project finalized by 2026."
At the meeting, KARI shared the current status of space exploration technologies, including plans to launch a lunar lander using a Korean launch vehicle by 2030 and related lunar landing technology research. KASI introduced plans to participate in large-scale space exploration missions through international cooperation with NASA and others, based on payload technology accumulated over the past 20 years, emphasizing the necessity of deep space exploration research on the universe's formation and humanity's origins.
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