The Korea AeroSpace Administration said on the 29th that it opened the Naro Space Center to the private sector and released the "Naro Space Center private-use guidelines," which include procedures for using the facilities and standards for fees.
The guidelines were released on the websites of the Korea AeroSpace Administration and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI). They include consultation procedures for corporations to use the Naro Space Center's facilities, equipment, and services; the method for calculating fees; plans for forming a private launch safety control council; and safety and security rules.
The Korea AeroSpace Administration said the guidelines specify the procedures and expense standards needed when corporations use the test center. In particular, it said it reflected feedback from meetings with corporations and expert consultations and included a plan to discount fees based on company size.
So far, domestic launch vehicle corporations have at times had to use overseas launch sites or sea-based launch sites for testing and launches. The Korea AeroSpace Administration expects that opening the Naro Space Center to the private sector will reduce some of the expense and procedural burden for domestic corporations. It is also expected to establish a foundation for corporations to use domestic facilities from launch vehicle development tests to commercial launches.
Private-only launch sites will open in phases. The Korea AeroSpace Administration plans to open private launch sites sequentially in phase one in the third quarter of 2027 and phase two in the first quarter of 2031. When phase two construction is completed, an assembly test facility capable of launch vehicle assembly and payload testing will be added, which is expected to expand the scope of use for corporations.
Administrator Oh Tae-seok of the Korea AeroSpace Administration said, "The private-use guidelines are meaningful in that they go beyond opening national facilities to strengthen private support systems in the space industry," and added, "We will support a stable foundation for a private-led space commercial ecosystem."