Miles O’Brien looks at the space shuttle, Falcon 9, Japan’s Hayabusa spacecraft, and South Korea’s rocket launch.
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“South Korea”
Some very bad news for South Korea’s fledgling space program, the Yonhap News Agency reports:
A South Korean rocket carrying a scientific satellite is believed to have exploded on Thursday a little more than two minutes after takeoff, the country’s science minister said.
Korea’s Space Rocket ‘Naro’ Gets Transported to Launch Pad
Arirang
With just two days left until the second launch attempt of Korea’s satellite-carrying rocket, the KSLV-1, scientists at the Naro Space Center successfully raised the rocket on the launch pad in preparation for its lift-off on Wednesday.
International Space Station
China may become space station partner
Xinhua
The European Space Agency (ESA) supports China’s inclusion in the International Space Station (ISS) partnership, the agency’s director-general Jean-Jacques Dordain said on Monday.
He made the remarks on Monday during the ongoing Global Lunar Conference in Beijing, which is organized by the International Astronautical Federation and the Chinese Society of Astronautics.
International Space Station
Space News has some interesting ISS news from Europe:
The head of the 18-nation European Space Agency (ESA) on Feb. 2 roundly endorsed the new direction U.S. President Barack Obama proposed for NASA, saying a firmer U.S. commitment to the international space station and space-based Earth science would further tighten trans-Atlantic cooperation.
In an interview, ESA Director-General Jean-Jacques Dordain also said his agency was ready to propose to NASA and the other space station partners — Russia, Japan and Canada — that China, India and South Korea be invited to join the station partnership.
South Korea and India have agreed to deepen their cooperation in a wide range of technological areas, including space:
The KARI-ISRO pact outlines future cooperation in space communication, ways to enhance capabilities of remote control probes and promote growth of space-related sciences.
South Korea is looking to make major progress in aerospace next year. In addition to the second launch of its KSLV-1 rocket and several satellites, the nation is looking to forge partnerships with NASA, ESA and other major space agencies. South Korea is also increasing its national R&D budget in an effort to make aerospace into a lucrative export engine.
Naro failure attributed to fairing problems
Korean Herald
An independent panel — tasked with finding the cause of the partial failure of Korea’s first rocket launch — confirmed yesterday that problems in the nose-fairing caused the satellite to veer off course.
NASA predicts links with Korea space program
JoongAng Daily
Korea has the potential to become an important partner in efforts aimed at advancing exploration and technology for the peaceful use of space, the head of the U.S. aerospace administration said yesterday.
IT Could Make Difference in Korean Space Tech
Korea Times
South Korea, as a late starter in the global space competition, must seek to leverage its strength in information and communication technology to create a niche, according to the head of a leading space industry organization.