The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) will launch a scientific probe in 2031 to observe the space environment between Earth and the moon and begin research on the solar wind. It plans to expand Korea's space environment observation range, which had centered on low Earth orbit, to the Earth-moon space to analyze how solar activity affects satellites and communications.
The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) said on the 4th that it will release its domestic heliosphere exploration plan at the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) 2026 scientific assembly, held in Florence, Italy, from the 1st to the 9th of this month.
The plan to be unveiled on the 7th is expected to include a scheme to gradually expand the observation range starting with an Earth-moon scientific probe and measures for cooperation with overseas space agencies.
The heliosphere is the region of space affected by particles and magnetic fields emitted from the sun. Solar wind and cosmic radiation caused by solar eruptions can lead to satellite malfunctions, global positioning system (GPS) errors, aircraft communication disruptions, and power grid anomalies. But the space between Earth and the moon has relatively little long-term accumulated observational data.
The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) expects that using an Earth-moon scientific probe will allow observations across a wider range of how particles and magnetic fields from the sun change the space environment around Earth. Through this, it aims to secure data needed to forecast space weather phenomena that affect satellite operations and communication systems.
During the assembly, the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) will also meet with major space agencies from eight countries, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA), to discuss potential cooperation in space science fields such as heliosphere and lunar exploration and space telescopes.
Earlier, on the 3rd, the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) introduced its plan to develop the Korea Space Situational Awareness system (K-SSA) at a roundtable meeting of heads of space agencies. K-SSA is a national integrated space surveillance system designed to detect early the risks of reentry of space objects and collisions between satellites.
Oh Tae-seok, administrator of the Korea AeroSpace Administration, said, "We plan to expand space environment observations, which had been conducted in low Earth orbit, to the Earth-moon space," and added, "We will establish an observation foundation to analyze how solar activity affects satellites, communications, and power grids."
This year's COSPAR scientific assembly is being held under the theme "Sustainable space research for Earth," featuring about 150 academic sessions, keynote speeches, and meetings of heads of major countries' space agencies.