Korea launched the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), Monday, an agency that will lead policy and industrial development in the aerospace sector, with its inaugural administrator vowing to turn the country into a global space powerhouse.“I am happy that we were able to finally open KASA, which has been a dream of countless people in the aerospace sector, and I feel both excitement and a heavy responsibility,” Yoon Young-bin, administrator of KASA, said on his first day on the job.“The establishment of KASA will be an important stepping stone in leading Korea to become a full-fledged space economy powerhouse through the creation of a private-led space industry ecosystem.”
KASA was established under a special law passed by the National Assembly in January to unify government organizations in charge of space policy and projects.Based in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, KASA has an annual budget of 758.9 billion won ($556 million) this year. The agency currently has around 110 employees and will eventually have a total of 293.In March, the government established the 2024 Space Development Promotion Action Plan and set five major missions — including space exploration, space transportation, space industry, space security and space science.In line with the government’s policy, KASA will establish a roadmap for Korea’s space exploration and plans to promote reusable launch vehicles, development of the country’s own global positioning system (GPS) and a lunar lander program.In particular, it plans to develop a lunar lander with a goal of landing on the moon in 2032, and to design and develop engines to enter the commercial 스포츠토토존 launch service market.