The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) said Thursday that its Administrator Oh Tae-seok discussed cooperation with major U.S. space companies after overseeing the launch of the Compact Advanced Satellite 500-2 (CAS500-2) as head of the launch management team at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
Oh visited U.S. satellite company Umbra Space the previous day, where he reviewed the development of small satellites used in disaster response and security applications, along with cases of satellite data utilization. The meeting covered private sector-led small satellite development cooperation and ways to leverage satellite data.
Oh then visited SpaceX to request launch support for the CAS500-4, scheduled for launch in the second half of this year, following the successful launch of the CAS500-2. The two sides also exchanged views on KASA's upcoming satellite launch plans, including the Geostationary Korea Multi-Purpose Satellite-3 (GEO-KOMPSAT-3), as well as global space launch market trends and the direction of space launch vehicle technology development.
"Korea's space industry also needs a rapid transition to a private sector-led model," Oh said. "We will push to expand cooperation with the world's major space powers and space companies to strengthen the competitiveness of Korean private firms' space technologies."
