[Exclusive] Government Classifies 'Doyosat' as Strategic Material... Aftermath in Space Industry

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] The government’s classification of the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute’s (KASI) space weather observation small satellite ‘Doyosat’ as a strategic item and the subsequent ban on its export to Russia is casting a shadow over the aerospace industry.

According to KASI on the 29th, the Strategic Materials Management Institute under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy notified KASI on the 18th that Doyosat would be classified as a strategic item. Originally, KASI planned to launch Doyosat into orbit last year from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan using Russia’s Soyuz launch vehicle. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the launch was postponed to June this year, and following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at the end of February, this plan was canceled.

This government action is interpreted as a declaration that South Korea will no longer entrust satellite launches to Russia. The government had already banned the export or transfer of over 40 major non-strategic items, including four strategic items and aerospace-related goods, to Russia immediately after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in late February as part of international sanctions. In fact, when KASI inquired about the possibility of exporting to Russia after receiving the ‘strategic item’ classification notification from the Strategic Materials Management Institute, the relevant department of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy reportedly ‘informed’ that it was impossible due to the February sanctions.

Doyosat, consisting of four ultra-small satellites weighing around 10 kg each, did not use advanced American components or equipment, making it ambiguous whether it was subject to international sanctions. While KASI requested a government ruling and considered launching from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome near Moscow, about 800 km away, in March next year in consultation with the Russian side, the government’s classification of Doyosat as a strategic item has effectively made export to Russia and entrusted launches impossible.

The classification of Doyosat as a strategic item carries significant symbolism. Other satellites contracted for launch with Russia, such as the next-generation medium-sized satellite No. 2 (Cha Jung-hyeong 2) and the multipurpose practical satellite No. 6 (Arirang 6), were clearly subject to international sanctions due to the use of American components. Thus, Doyosat’s classification served as an indicator of the South Korean government’s stance on whether to continue space development cooperation with Russia. Had the government not classified it as a strategic item, it might have been launched by a Russian launch vehicle in March next year, maintaining the space development cooperation between the two countries. South Korea and Russia have maintained close cooperative relations since the early 2000s, including operating the International Space Station (ISS) astronaut training program (2008), joint development of the Naro rocket (completed in 2013), and numerous satellite launch contracts such as Arirang 5 (2013).

The damage is becoming visible. Even if alternative launch vehicles are sought, it will take at least a year and a half, making long-term delays inevitable. KASI has effectively lost the $780,000 contract payment for the Doyosat launch. The delay in launching Cha Jung-hyeong 2 has become an obstacle to the activation of the private satellite industry. Cha Jung-hyeong 2 was developed by transferring satellite design and manufacturing technology accumulated by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) to the private sector, creating standardized modules assembled in a modular fashion, which was significant in demonstrating the successful transfer of public satellite technology to the private sector.

The delay in launching Arirang 6, which is used for national security, weather observation, and disaster management for public purposes, is also a headache. According to the original plan, Arirang 6 should have already been deployed in orbit in 2018 to replace Arirang 5. This is because the target mission lifespan (5 years) of Arirang 5, launched in 2013, was completed at that time. The government has extended the mission period of Arirang 5 and continues to use it, but if it malfunctions due to aging, there is currently no alternative. The launch of Arirang 6 has been indefinitely delayed due to late delivery of key components such as high-performance telephoto lenses, compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic and the war.

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