Korean-Style Aviation Satellite Service to Fully Launch from December... First Satellite to be Launched in June

[Asia Economy Reporter Kangwook Cho] The Korean Aviation Satellite Service (KASS) will be fully operational starting December. The first aviation satellite is scheduled to be launched in June.

On the 28th, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport held the 'KASS Project Promotion Policy Committee,' composed of satellite navigation experts and related agencies, to review the preparation status and discuss operational readiness plans and future technology development roadmaps.

KASS is an international standard satellite navigation augmentation system that corrects the position error of the current Global Positioning System (GPS), which ranges from 17 to 37 meters, to 1 to 3 meters in real-time, providing accurate location information via satellite. Developed by South Korea, it became the seventh system worldwide to be officially registered with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Since 2014, the KASS construction project has been promoted to provide precise location information to aircraft, increase air traffic capacity, and enhance aviation safety. A total of 128 billion KRW has been invested to build ground infrastructure nationwide, including seven reference stations, two satellite communication stations, and two integrated operation centers.

Additionally, 'ground-based tests' such as system interconnection tests and performance verification, as well as 'satellite-based tests' that simulate space environments similar to satellite launch conditions?such as vacuum, high temperature, and vibration?have been conducted domestically and in France.

The first aviation satellite for the full-scale service launch is scheduled to be launched on June 22?23 from the Kourou Space Center in French Guiana, South America. The first satellite is leased from Malaysia’s MEASAT communication and broadcasting satellite and is equipped with a relay device for aviation satellite services. The Ministry explained that Kourou is located near the equator, providing optimal launch conditions with reduced fuel consumption during satellite launch.

After the launch of the first aviation satellite, the Ministry plans to conduct comprehensive verification processes including satellite performance tests, satellite-to-ground system connection tests, and quality confirmation, and start a public demonstration service providing precise location information across South Korea from December. Following safety and reliability verification stages, full-scale aviation services will be provided starting late next year.

To implement the Korean Positioning System (KPS), the Ministry will systematically promote the acquisition and launch of aviation satellites 2 through 5 in cooperation with related ministries, while also striving for domestic production of core technologies.

According to current government plans, the second satellite will be leased domestically and launched in 2025, the third satellite (Cheollian 3) will be domestically developed and launched in 2027, and the fourth and fifth satellites will be domestically developed and launched in 2034 and 2035, respectively.

Joo Jong-wan, Director of Airport Policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, "We are making every effort to finalize preparations for the successful launch of the first aviation satellite," adding, "We will also strive to advance the aviation satellite navigation system and to leap forward as an aviation powerhouse."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.