South Korea's first satellite, Ourisat 1, was developed by the KAIST Satellite Technology Research Center, the predecessor of the KAIST Space Research Institute. At the time, the project represented the country's first attempt to build a satellite. More than a year after the institute's establishment, KAIST is now preparing a new series of ambitious missions, including technologies for active space debris removal and asteroid exploration.
During an interview at KAIST in Daejeon on Nov. 25, Han Jae-heung, director of the KAIST Space Research Institute, said the institute will build on KAIST's expertise in space science, physics, quantum research, and artificial intelligence to continue the spirit of challenge embodied by Ourisat 1. He explained that the institute aims to serve as an integrated platform connecting the Korea Aerospace Administration, research institutions, and industry while leading research, technology demonstrations, and talent development. The institute was launched in September last year to consolidate KAIST's space technology development capabilities under the existing Satellite Technology Research Center.
The KAIST Space Research Institute consists of the Satellite Technology Research Center, the Space Technology Innovation Human Resources Development Center, the In-Space Service and Manufacturing Research Center (ISMRC) and the Space Cybersecurity Research Center.
Han said he believes South Korea has reached a point where it must undertake challenging space missions. He cited active debris removal technology, asteroid exploration, on-orbit infrastructure for space services and manufacturing, and high-performance, high-efficiency space mobility as strategic fields the institute will prioritize.
The institute will first focus on developing South Korea's first space debris removal technology. This technology encompasses systems that retrieve or eliminate retired satellites and launch fragments drifting in Earth's orbit. By preventing satellite collisions and enabling satellites to be moved to designated orbits or neutralizing objects captured in space, it has both strategic and military potential. A satellite equipped with removal technology using four robotic arms to approach and capture target objects is scheduled to launch aboard the sixth Nuri rocket in 2027 to validate the technology in orbit.
Han said operating debris removal technology requires advanced science and engineering capabilities. These include navigation systems that allow a close approach within a few meters of the target, robotics for precise capture, and mathematical and dynamical models that calculate optimal approach trajectories while minimizing propellant use. He noted that KAIST began development in 2020 and has already achieved a high level of technological maturity.
The institute also plans to expand research in space service and manufacturing under the ISMRC. Its goal is to secure next-generation core technologies for space development by establishing a Korean unmanned space station and on-orbit platform, as well as developing robotics-based in-space manufacturing and material retrieval capabilities.
The KAIST Space Research Institute faces structural limits in expanding its official workforce, and nearly two-thirds of its current staff of 60 are nonregular employees. Han emphasized that stable staffing is essential for the institute's ambitious missions. Han, who has taught in KAIST's Department of Aerospace Engineering since 2003, said he plans to create a space workforce training system that moves beyond the fear-based model portraying space work as hazardous and heavily regulated, instead providing hands-on training that highlights the field's diverse missions.
이채린 동아사이언스 기자 rini113@donga.com