The Nuri rocket was successfully launched in June 2022.
SINGAPORE—South Korea’s presidential office has announced its space exploration plans, with an ambition to reach the Moon by 2032 and Mars by 2045.
President Yoon Suk Yeol unveiled a space economy road map that envisions the development of an indigenous launch vehicle capable of reaching the Moon to support the mining of lunar resources.
Yoon says South Korea will plant its flag on Mars by 2045. That year also will mark the 100th anniversary of the country’s independence from Japanese occupation.
“In the future, successful countries will not dream of space, but countries that dream of space will become successful countries. A country with a vision for space will lead the global economy and solve the problems facing humanity,” Yoon said in a Facebook post.
Yoon also said his administration will inaugurate the Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA) by the end of 2023. The Korean Ministry of Science and Information, Communication and Transport already is drawing up specific parameters that KASA should pursue in the areas of launch vehicles, satellite technologies and space resources development.
Yoon said Seoul will double its space-related budgets and attract at least KRW100 trillion ($75 billion) in investments over the next five years.
In June, South Korea successfully launched Nuri, a domestically developed rocket, which put six satellites into low Earth orbit.
Related Content
