KASA chief, Luxembourg's digitalisation minister discuss cooperation in new space era

Industry

Published: 03 Jul. 2024, 17:09 Updated: 03 Jul. 2024, 19:27

KASA chief, Luxembourg's digitalisation minister discuss cooperation in new space era

Yoon Young-bin, the administrator of the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), left, and Stephanie Obertin, serving concurrently as Luxembourg’s minister of digitalisation and minister of research and higher eduction, pose for the photo in central Seoul on Wednesday to discuss ways to enhance cooperation in space. [KASA]

The head of Korea's national space agency met with Stephanie Obertin, serving concurrently as Luxembourg’s minister of digitalisation and minister of research and higher eduction, in central Seoul on Wednesday to discuss ways to enhance cooperation in space between the two countries.

During the meeting, Yoon Young-bin, the administrator of the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), explained the country’s dedication in the field by referencing President Yoon Suk Yeol’s roadmap for the future space economy outlined in 2022 that targets a lunar landing and resource mining by 2032, along with a goal of planting the nation's flag on Mars by 2045.

“Based on the distinct strengths that each country possesses in the space sector, we hope to lead the new space era together through shared space policies and expanded industrial collaboration,” the inaugural space director said at the meeting held at the Grand Hyatt Seoul in central Seoul. “Given that both countries are signatories of the Artemis Accords, we look forward to building a constructive relationship with Luxembourg.”

Citing a memorandum of understanding on space cooperation signed between the two countries in November 2022, he proposed ways to increase synergy in the partnership, such as running a consultative body and hosting symposiums between KASA and the Luxembourg Space Agency.

The administrator also expressed his intention for the agency to participate in Space Resources Week, an annual multidisciplinary forum co-hosted by the Luxembourg Space Agency that brings together space agencies, scientists and business visionaries to discuss the establishment of sustainable space resource architecture.

Luxembourg has actively boosted the space industry, becoming the second country in the world after the United States to legislate a bill on space resource exploration and utilization in 2017. The legislation guarantees legal rights to the ownership and capitalization of such resources for private companies through domestic laws.

BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]