As the Trump second administration takes office, the United States' space exploration strategy is poised for a major shift. President Trump and his close associate Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, seem to be focusing on Mars exploration rather than lunar exploration. In his inauguration speech last January, President Trump declared, "We will plant the American flag on Mars."
South Korea is also adapting to the changes in U.S. space policy. John Lee, the head of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, noted in an interview with ChosunBiz on the 13th at the agency's headquarters in Sacheon, Gyeongnam, "We created a task force (TF) for Mars exploration within the agency, and as interest in Mars exploration grows in the United States, we must start preparing from now."
Deputy Minister John Lee has led various space exploration missions, including the New Millennium Program, the Heliophysics Project, and polar satellite programs, during his 30 years working at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the White House. After serving as a senior advisor at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in 2021, he retired and was appointed as the inaugural head of the aerospace mission department in the previous year. The Deputy Minister oversees key research and development (R&D) projects and space exploration programs promoted by the agency.
According to the space agency's space exploration roadmap, Mars exploration is scheduled for 2045. Since this is 20 years away, there has been no specific execution plan discussed yet for Mars exploration. However, with the advent of the Trump administration, a Mars task force was formed under the direction of Deputy Minister John Lee. The Deputy Minister, well-versed in local circumstances in the United States, discerned that Mars exploration would receive greater emphasis than lunar exploration during the Trump administration.
Deputy Minister John Lee said, "I don't think there will be significant changes to the Artemis program aimed at lunar exploration just because the Trump administration is in place," adding, "To respond flexibly to the changes in U.S. policy, we need to prepare and think about Mars exploration in advance." The Mars task force at the space agency is led by Kang Kyung-in, the newly appointed head of the space science exploration division, with various organizations within the mission department participating, including those related to space transportation and satellites.
The space agency is actively participating in the United States' Mars exploration plans, including attending the M2M (Moon To Mars) architecture workshop hosted by NASA. The newly established Mars task force is expected to play a role in uniting not only the space agency but also relevant ministries such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Science and ICT with various research institutions. Deputy Minister John Lee emphasized that "it is important for our government to present a unified voice regarding Mars exploration."
◇SpaceX heart goes to Starbase
One of the biggest challenges for Deputy Minister John Lee is to establish a space cooperation relationship with the newly launched Trump administration. The role of NASA in the Trump administration's space policy is diminishing, while the roles of private corporations, including SpaceX, are being emphasized. Changes are also needed in the Korea-U.S. space cooperation that has been centered on NASA.
Deputy Minister John Lee revealed that he has been invited to attend SpaceX's "International Day" next month at Starbase in Texas, USA. Starbase is where SpaceX tests its next-generation rocket, "Starship," and is akin to the heart of SpaceX. It was also at Starbase that Musk invited Trump after he was elected president.
Deputy Minister John Lee said, "SpaceX has invited chief space officials from major nations to Starbase in early April," noting, "Since it's also an important event for SpaceX, Elon Musk may attend."
Starting with SpaceX's International Day, Deputy Minister John Lee plans to attend the Space Symposium in Colorado from April 7 to 10 and the 4th Korea-U.S. private space dialogue scheduled for mid-April. He stated, "We will strengthen cooperation with various global space corporations, including not only SpaceX but also Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic," adding, "We will enhance new aerospace cooperation with the new U.S. government."
◇Next-generation launch vehicles will be launched twice a year after 2032
Deputy Minister John Lee explained why they decided to change the plan for the next-generation launch vehicle project, which involves more than 2 trillion won in budget. He noted that "the emergence of reusable launch vehicle technology is rapidly shifting the space transportation paradigm to reuse and cost reduction," adding that "the next-generation launch vehicle, which will be the nation's main launch vehicle after the 2030s, could fall behind economically if it follows the existing methods."
The space agency is currently undergoing administrative procedures to change the next-generation launch vehicle project plan. A concrete outline is expected to emerge by the end of this month or early next month. Deputy Minister John Lee stated, "If we secure reusable launch vehicle technology, it will lower the cost of going to space and drive the increase in demand for satellite launches," emphasizing that this is "not just a simple technological transition but a key element to promote growth in the space economy."
The space agency has also planned to use a next-generation launch vehicle without incorporating reusable technology for the lunar lander launch scheduled for 2032, but from the following year, it intends to conduct test launches of next-generation launch vehicles incorporating reusable technology about twice a year. This is because sufficient experience and data are required to fully secure reusable launch vehicle technology by 2035.
Deputy Minister John Lee said, "After executing the lunar lander launch mission in 2032, we plan to conduct about 5 to 6 next-generation launch vehicle missions by 2035." An official from the space agency noted, "In the 2030s, the demand for domestic satellite launches is expected to be around 90 times a year," predicting that there will be sufficient demand for executing next-generation launch vehicle missions.
The establishment project for the fourth Lagrange point (L4) solar observation station will also be promoted in earnest. Lagrange points refer to regions where the gravitational forces of the sun and Earth cancel each other out, allowing for stable positioning. The space agency began planning studies for the L4 observation station construction project last year. The L4 exploration is Korea's first deep space exploration program.
Deputy Minister John Lee emphasized, "As the construction of the lunar base and deep space exploration progresses, it becomes increasingly important to predict the space environment through solar observation," adding that "more than ten countries, including the United States, Germany, Greece, and Australia, are showing interest in the L4 observation station project and are looking for ways to cooperate." He added, "The fact that Korea is pushing for such a project itself is recognized as world-class."