The Korea Aerospace Research Institute will move to establish the Satellite Information Act and create private associations. This is to reorganize laws and systems to activate the market for the utilization of satellite information by the private sector. They will build a satellite image platform and create a system to support the utilization of big data from satellite information.
According to the science and technology sector on the 7th, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute decided on this matter during the 1st Satellite Information Utilization Working Committee held on March 27. The Satellite Information Utilization Working Committee is a decision-making body established under the National Space Committee to review policy agendas related to inter-agency utilization of satellite information. In addition to government departments such as the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, private corporations such as LIG Nex1, Naver Cloud, and KT, as well as experts from academia, participate as commissioners.
The committee has decided to initiate legislation for the 'Satellite Operation and Satellite Information Utilization Promotion Act (Satellite Information Act).' The Satellite Information Act is a bill that contains legal grounds and support measures for private corporations or the industry to utilize data generated by artificial satellites.
Currently, regulations on the utilization of satellite information are only in place for artificial satellites developed according to the government's basic plan for promoting space development. Until now, there have been no issues as only artificial satellites developed at the national level were launched. However, as the new space era opens with private corporations leading space development and the number of privately developed artificial satellites increases, new regulations have become necessary.
The Satellite Information Act was also proposed in the form of a legislator's bill during the 21st National Assembly, but it did not pass. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute plans to have the bill passed in the current 22nd National Assembly to help activate satellite information utilization services. The institute has prepared a draft of the Satellite Information Act and gone through internal reviews. They aim to gather opinions from other related agencies in May and submit the draft to the National Assembly in the second half of the year.
An individual participating in the Satellite Information Utilization Working Group noted, 'The scale of data generated by artificial satellites has drastically increased in recent years, but related regulations have not been properly organized in the country, making it difficult for private corporations or the industry to actively utilize them.' They added, 'This is an effort to create related legislation to support this.'
They will also create an association to support the development of the satellite information utilization industry. The working group discussed establishing the Satellite Information Utilization Industry Association on that day. The association will collect opinions from industry, academia, and research to promote the satellite information utilization industry and help reflect them in actual policies. Additionally, they decided to review the introduction of a certification system for quality management of satellite information service providers alongside the establishment of the association.
The Korea Aerospace Research Institute will also prepare a strategy for developing the satellite information utilization service industry. By July of this year, they plan to create a strategy for the development of the private satellite service industry and national guidelines for the commercialization of satellite information. Furthermore, they plan to form a Satellite Information Review Committee in the second half of the year to assist in the growth of the private satellite service industry.