About a week after the successful fifth launch of the Nuri rocket, lawmakers raised concerns during an audit of the Korea Space Agency (KSA) regarding the lack of a robust framework to support its industrial transition. Both ruling and opposition party members questioned the agency's opaque contracts and the ineffective operation of the interagency committee for the low Earth orbit satellite communication network.
On October 13, the Science, Technology, Information, Broadcasting and Communications Committee held an audit focused on the KSA at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul.
KSA Administrator Oh Tae-seok announced plans to shift the agency's focus from research and development to industrial growth. He stated, "We will develop the space industry as a future national industry," emphasizing efforts to reduce launch costs through next-generation rocket development and to establish a Korean low Earth orbit satellite communication network by 2035.
He added, "We will accelerate the launch of a lunar orbit communication satellite in 2029 and a small lunar lander in 2030, and we aim to secure independent lunar landing technology by 2032."
Oh also expressed a commitment to fostering the relatively neglected aviation industry, stating, "We will pursue joint development of next-generation commercial aircraft alongside global players and work to enter the global supply chain. We will also actively promote the development of hybrid vertical takeoff and landing aircraft."
During the questioning, topics included the status of the AI space data center, reusable rocket development, and the progress of the low Earth orbit satellite network. Concerns were raised about the KSA's internal oversight of its affiliated organizations.
Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Joo-hee pointed out that the launch of a verification satellite for the AI data center is scheduled for 2030, urging for an expedited timeline. Oh responded, "The market for AI data centers in space is growing rapidly, so prompt verification is necessary. Please consider the budget for the verification satellite during the budget review process."
The timeline for reusable rocket development was also disclosed. Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Jeong-heon noted that progress is being made on the next-generation rocket development project. Oh stated, "We will demonstrate basic reusable technology by 2028 and complete the hardware for the next-generation reusable rocket by 2032, after which we plan to enhance related technologies through actual operations."
The Korean low Earth orbit satellite communication network, targeted for completion by 2035, faces challenges due to a lack of domestic launch vehicles. Lawmaker Lee Yeon-hee questioned whether the domestic industry could handle the plan to deploy a total of 512 satellites.
Oh acknowledged, "It is difficult to launch all the satellites with just the Nuri and next-generation rockets. We will utilize foreign launch vehicles during the initial construction phase."
Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Nam-guk criticized the interagency cooperation framework for the establishment of the low Earth orbit satellite communication network, stating, "The interagency task force involving the Ministry of Science and ICT, KSA, Ministry of National Defense, and Defense Acquisition Program Administration was launched in March, but there has not been a single full meeting chaired by the Prime Minister."
In response, Oh noted, "While the working committee has met several times, there has not been a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister. The Ministry of Science and ICT is leading the documentation of meeting minutes, so we need to verify that."
Concerns over opaque contracting practices among affiliated organizations were also raised. Lawmaker Lee Yeon-hee revealed that contracts worth a total of 49.8 billion won were awarded to companies established or acquired by former and current employees of the KSA, including one company that secured a contract for satellite ground system operation and maintenance services for six consecutive years, totaling 28.6 billion won. She also highlighted suspicions that contract information was provided to companies established by employees' relatives and friends, resulting in a 2.4 billion won contract being awarded.
Oh stated, "We need to examine the situation where contracts are concentrated on specific companies due to direct contracts or the absence of competitors, and we will establish preventive measures with the Korea Aerospace Research Institute and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute."
The interagency coordination function of the National Space Commission was also scrutinized. Lawmaker Lee Joo-hee pointed out that the total support staff consists of only three members, which is insufficient to support interagency coordination, noting that 11 out of 12 agenda items were processed without the attendance of government members.
In response, Oh emphasized the need for a permanent secretariat for the National Space Commission, similar to other committees, stating, "We have begun discussions with relevant ministries, including the Ministry of the Interior and Safety." He also mentioned that there are plans to appoint the Vice Minister of Science and Technology as a co-chair in place of the current civilian co-chair.
Other topics discussed included the repeated launches of the Nuri rocket, securing independent space surveillance capabilities, selecting a site for the second space center, and improving the treatment of researchers at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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