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[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Korea pushes for self-reliant space program

Nation plans to launch a satellite with its own rocket next year

A nation can truly be said to have entered the "space age" when it has three related homegrown technologies that constitute a space program - satellites, rockets to lift the satellites into orbit and a space center with launch facilities.

Korea has made substantial progress to usher in the space age during recent years.

Besides the nine active and decommissioned satellites, the country plans to complete a space center, launch two more satellites and develop the country's first satellite launch vehicle by next year.

A multipurpose satellite "Arirang 2" will be launched at Plesetsk, Russia, in July. Dubbed "Science and Technology Satellite-2," the satellite is likely to be launched next year at a space center to be completed by 2007.

The space center, being built on a remote island near Goheung, South Jeolla Province, will be the nation's hub of space science and technology research. The state-funded Korea Aerospace Research Institute plans to develop the country's first satellite launch vehicle, in a joint project with Russian scientists. Named KSLV-1, short for Korea Space Launch Vehicle, it will be designed to put a 100-kilogram payload into low orbit.

The KSLV-1 will launch "Science and Technology Satellite 2" next year at the Goheung space center, if everything goes according to the plan.

Only eight countries have the capacity to manufacture rockets, or satellite launch vehicles, in the world.

More here: www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2006/03/13/200603130015.asp

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I wonder if North Korea willjoin in, or do they perfer just to rattle the Nuclear sword... #dunno#

[Maddad]

Have you seen pictures of their industry? Their streets are empty. Their ports are deserted. They need to feed starving millions first. Once they get off of top dead center with that, then they might think about space.

[jason]

You are talking about the wrong Korea!! You are referring to North Korea. The space center will be for South Korea.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

It's quite true about North Korea.

It's a bland, grey oppressive place. The Internet is mostly banned, no cell phones for the masses and the paranoid government controls the television and radio broadcasts. Certainly no visible satellite dishes or outside subscriptions to magazines, newspapers or other publications. The citizens there are taught to hate the west by government controlled biased education. Quite awful.

A messed up place certainly, at no fault of the oppressed and misguided North Korean citizens...and what is really scary is - that this is the norm of human governance. Insecure and frail group of individuals who feel it necessary to have complete power over another group.

While North Korea is devoting resources to maintain dictatorial rule thru nuclear in-your-face- tactics, a democratic South Korea sees space exploration as a positive and progressive measure. Good for them...

Democracy is a rarity and hard to maintain. Dictatorship is much too easy and unfortunately...flourishes.

Bless the United States of America...