South Korea’s Independent Satellite Launch Still Impossible under Current U.S. Policies
South Korea plans to launch KSLV-2 satellite launch rocket in October this year.
Even if KSLV-2 is successfully launched in October this year, South Korea can launch neither a lunar lander nor an application satellite unless the United States changes its export control policies, experts say.
“According to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) of the United States, a satellite or a space probe incorporating U.S. technology cannot be launched on a South Korean launch rocket,” one of them explained, adding, “This is to prevent rocket technology from being used for an ICBM.”
“The United States still believes that South Korea’s space launch vehicle development can serve for military purposes and its stance is that it will become harder to respond to demands from other countries such as Brazil once it grants South Korea’s space launch vehicle development.”
In addition, key satellite technologies such as gyro and CCD are exclusively owned by the United States and this means that South Korea can launch nothing but its own satellite even if it succeeds in developing those technologies on its own. Under the current policies, it cannot provide any launch service for a foreign satellite, examples of which include the United States’ SpaceX and Japan’s H2 rocket.
The Ministry of Science and ICT’s space exploration roadmap is facing the same hurdle. According to the roadmap, the three preconditions of launch vehicle stabilization, smooth component supply and prior technology preparation have to be met for independent lunar landing module launch. Although South Korea is about to complete the development of its own launch vehicle, the other two preconditions cannot be met without talks with the United States.
The South Korean government is planning to launch 100 private satellites by 2040. However, the government’s plan does not include the use of South Korea’s launch vehicle except small satellites not subject to the U.S. control. KSLV-2 is scheduled to carry a satellite mock-up and the second launch scheduled for May next year is to include a demonstration satellite of less than 200 kg along with a micro cube set. The lunar orbiter scheduled to be launched in 2022 will be carried by a SpaceX rocket.