[Reading Science] Nuriho Commercialization and KPS Initiation... Will the Moon Jae-in Administration Achieve a Successful Conclusion in Space Development?

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] The Moon Jae-in administration's major space development policies in its final term, including the commercialization project of Korea's first space launch vehicle Nuriho, the development of the Korean Positioning System (KPS), and the elevation of the National Space Committee, are now being actively implemented.

First, the development project of the Korean Positioning System (KPS), which is being promoted to complement the U.S. GPS and establish an independent yet reliable positioning information system, has passed a critical hurdle for budget approval. On the 27th, the Ministry of Science and ICT announced that the KPS project, estimated to cost 3.72345 trillion won, passed the preliminary feasibility study on the 25th.

This project plans to invest a total of about 3.7234 trillion won over 14 years from next year until 2035, launching eight satellites and building ground and user systems to provide ultra-precise satellite navigation services to the Korean Peninsula and its adjacent islands. Upon completion, navigation services for Korean drivers and mobile phone users will become much more precise and accurate. Currently, the location information service provided free of charge through the U.S. GPS system has an error range of 17 to 37 meters. KPS is expected to reduce this error to a few meters, and in military applications, down to centimeters.

The government had been conducting the preliminary feasibility study since 2019 but struggled to reach a conclusion due to concerns about 'budget waste' from some quarters. However, voices advocating the necessity of the project grew louder, citing the essential role of ultra-precise positioning, navigation, and timing information services as infrastructure for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the need to establish an independent system for Korea in emergencies. It is known that the government decided to officially start the project following the Korea-U.S. summit on the 21st of last month, where an agreement on cooperation for KPS development was reached. In this regard, the government has already allocated 52.3 billion won for KPS in next year's budget proposal.

The commercialization project for Nuriho, scheduled to be launched in October, will also commence. On the 24th, the government held a meeting of the National Science and Technology Advisory Council and finalized the national R&D budget for next year, confirming that 86.4 billion won was newly allocated for the commercialization of the Korean launch vehicle. Nuriho has been developed since 2008 with an investment of about 1.957 trillion won and was planned to be launched twice, in October this year and May next year. The 75-ton liquid fuel engine and fuel tanks were all developed purely with domestic technology.

The process of elevating the chairperson of the National Space Committee, which oversees space development, to the Prime Minister level is also progressing smoothly. On the morning of the 24th, the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Broadcasting and Communications Committee reviewed and approved a bill including this provision. In March, President Moon Jae-in declared the goal of becoming one of the world's top seven space powers after observing the comprehensive combustion test of Nuriho's first stage at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, Jeollanam-do, and announced this policy. If this bill passes the National Assembly, future meetings of the National Space Committee will be chaired by Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum instead of Minister Lim Hye-sook of the Ministry of Science and ICT.