Asian nations now fight over territory in space

While a heated territorial dispute is under way on the ground, Korea will begin negotiations with Japan among other neighbors to stake out space in the sky. According to a government report obtained by the JoongAng Ilbo, Korean and Chinese officials will meet Monday, and with Japanese and Russian officials later this year, to secure spots for geostationary satellites. These satellites, which circle the Earth at the same speed the planet turns on its axis, remain fixed in the same position in the sky when viewed from the ground. Although space appears vast, countries are fighting for room because the most ideal position for satellites is over the equator. They must be two degrees apart from each other in terms of longitude to avoid interference with transmissions. There are now 338 geostationary satellites for mostly commercial use, with 35 hovering over Korea and its vicinity. Of those 35, Korea has three, China, 14 and Japan, 18. “The most appropriate satellite position for Korea is longitude 128 east,” said Sung Hyang-sook, a researcher at the Ministry of Information and Communications Radio Research Laboratory. “However, satellites from other countries such as Japan, China, and the United States already occupy the area.” It means Korean satellites settled for longitudes 116 and 113 east. Park Sang-young, a professor at Yonsei University, said that competition is inevitable since longitude 128 east not only passes through Korea, but also through many Southeast Asian countries. “Competition will increase since China and Japan have aggressive plans to launch more satellites in the future,” he added. But Asian countries are not the only competitors. As satellites’ coverage increases, other countries are vying for “good seats” as well. To obtain a space “plot,” a country must file an application to the International Telecommunication Union, or ITU, which is an international organization within the United Nations System that adjusts global telecom networks and services. The ITU then makes a worldwide announcement seeking objections of other countries. If there are none, the ITU then assigns a specific satellite position and frequency to the country that applied for the spot. “Negotiations are becoming more difficult these days,” Ms. Sung said. “Many countries are competing to acquire space in advance even if they have no immediate plans to launch any satellites. Discussions take up to five years.” The Korean government has already planned to launch two satellites ― one next year and another in 2008. Lee Kun-hyup, director of the research center, said that Korea will ask other countries to slightly adjust the angles of their antennas or “move over” a little so that Korea can squeeze in a satellite. “In particular, the satellite we are planning to launch in 2008 is one that will track the ocean water movement and weather, so we need to be as close to 128 east as possible,” he said. Yoo Dae-sun, director of the communications and broadcasting convergence strategy team, said that officials will emphasize the fact that Korea has relatively few satellites compared to its neighboring countries. by Lee Won-ho, Lee Hee-sung