[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] A space center will be newly established in the Air Force to formulate space policies using military reconnaissance satellites and microsatellites.
According to the Air Force on the 30th, the Space Center, established as a department directly under the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, will be responsible for timely formulation and implementation of space policies, as well as collaboration with higher commands such as the Ministry of National Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and external organizations like the Korea Aerospace Research Institute and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute to develop space capabilities. The center is organized into three departments: Space Policy Division, Space Power Development Division, and Space Information Situation Room. By the end of next year, the current Space Information Situation Room will be expanded into the Space Operations Situation Room and Space Information Fusion Office to focus on space operation capabilities.
The Air Force has continuously developed space operations and space combat elements since establishing a dedicated space policy department in 1998. Based on the 'Air Force Space Operations Doctrine' and the 'Basic Plan for Air Force Space Power Development' enacted in 2002, the concept of space operations was established.
The first phase, targeted for 2025, aims to enhance space information support operational capabilities by establishing an electro-optical satellite surveillance system, space weather forecasting and warning system, military reconnaissance satellites, and microsatellite systems.
The second phase, targeted for 2030, plans to secure all-weather space domain awareness and limited counter-space operational capabilities against omnidirectional space threats. By around 2050, when the third phase is completed, early warning satellite systems and satellite jamming systems will be operationalized to achieve all-weather space operation capabilities.
The satellites using the Korean solid-fuel launch vehicle are microsatellites for military reconnaissance, commonly called 'CubeSats.' They can observe objects as small as 1 meter on the ground from an altitude of 510 km orbit with high resolution regardless of day or night and adverse weather conditions. CubeSats have a revisit cycle of 30 minutes, enabling reconnaissance of the Korean Peninsula and surrounding areas such as North Korea. Additionally, the military is conducting the '425 Project' to develop five reconnaissance satellites. Two electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) satellites are scheduled to be developed by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Three high-performance synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites are planned to be developed by the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) in 2024.
The Air Force stated, "As the space domain emerges as a core battlefield in the future, we will lead the operationalization of space operation weapon systems to ensure conditions for joint all-domain operations," adding, "Through strengthening space capabilities, including creating new demands for the development of the Air Force's space power, we also plan to carry out national space security missions to respond to space risks and threats."
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