South Korea yesterday celebrated the completion of its first space launch site in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, where the country's first space rocket is slated to be launched in late July. During his congratulatory speech at the Naro Space Centre, President Lee Myung-bak expressed national hope to join the ranks of the world's top-tier countries in space technology.
"Through constant investment and research, we will be able to open a space era by ourselves to become one of the world's top seven space powerhouses within 10 years. The successful launch of the country's first space rocket will be the turning point" - President Lee Myung-bak.
Naro Space Centre is the first spaceport of the Republic of Korea. Scheduled to be completed by the end of 2007 or early 2008 at Goheung County, South Jeolla. Built on 4.95 million square meters of reclaimed land, Korea Space Centre is expected to send a Korea Space Launch Vehicle into space in 2008.
Successful space programs have become an essential element of great power status. The launch of China's first lunar orbiter, Change, at the end of October and Japan's blasting off of the Kaguya lunar probe a month before reflect the increasing interest of the great powers in projecting their influence above the skies. Alongside the traditional space powers of the Cold War era - the US and Russia - a new host of actors is joining this exclusive club: China, Japan, India and the EU now have the independent capability to place satellites into orbit, including the indigenous production of the necessary launch vehicles. Their space programs are increasingly geared toward the moon and Mars. Several other countries - including Israel, South Korea, Brazil, Iran, Malaysia, Pakistan, Turkey and Taiwan - are at various stages of development of their own satellite production and launcher capabilities, striving to gain acceptance in the uppermost club.
The world’s largest builder of marine vessels is now looking skyward, with a plan to build South Korea’s first space rocket launching pad. Hyundai Heavy Industries said Monday that it has won the contract to build a rocket launching platform at the Naro Space Centre on the coast of South Cholla Province by 2008 South Korea is in line to become the ninth nation to launch a space vessel when it lifts off a 100-kilogram satellite into orbit from the Naro site as early as next year. The construction of the site began in 2000 at a cost of 265 billion won ($285 million) and is about 90 percent complete, except the launching pad.