The Korea Aerospace Administration announced plans to establish a low-Earth orbit satellite communications network by 2035 and advance the nation's first lunar landing to 2030.
The Korea Aerospace Administration unveiled the strategy on July 3 during a public briefing on advanced industry development held in Jinju. The plan was approved the same day by the National Space Council, chaired by President Lee Jae Myung.
The network will require 128 to 512 satellites, with costs estimated between 4 trillion won and 13.2 trillion won every five years. A special purpose company, majority-owned by private firms, will be established to commercialize satellite data and is projected to generate over $1.7 billion in sales by 2034.
The lunar program will also be accelerated, with a lunar communications orbiter planned for 2029, a small lander aboard the Nuri rocket in 2030, and an Earth-Moon probe in 2031. Administrator Oh Tae-seok said low-Earth orbit networks are critical infrastructure for national security and communications sovereignty.
