Korea sets annual budget of $546 mn for new space agency

The South Korean government is pushing to establish a new space agency this year, which will not house existing government-funded research institutions such as the Korea Aerospace Research Institute and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute under its arm.

Instead, the space agency will oversee space research and development (R&D) and assign missions to external organizations. Responsibilities will be allocated based on the strength of each organization, including universities and research institutions.

The Ministry of Science and ICT on Thursday announced the basic direction for the establishment and operation of the new space agency. The operation plans come after the special act on the establishment and operation of the space agency was submitted to the National Assembly in April.

Under the plans, the new space agency will have a staff of less than 300 employees and an annual budget of 700 billion won ($546 million). It will consist of mission organizations and administrative organizations, which will be responsible for policy and R&D, industrial creation, international cooperation, personnel affairs and audits, public relations, and planning and coordination, respectively.

The space agency will not incorporate external organizations such as the Korea Aerospace Research Institute. Instead, it will designate them as mission centers and establish a collaborative system.

For example, the launch vehicle research center of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute will be designated as mission centers under the space agency.

A cooperative system will be established where both academic and research institutions work together in R&D with the space agency at the center.

Once designated as mission centers, they will receive government funding. Private-military joint projects and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport’s aviation safety projects will also be operated in collaboration with the space agency.