Seoul, Nov 25: South Korea has designated May 27 as Aerospace Day to commemorate the launch of the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) and proclaim the country's commitment to becoming a global space power, the national space agency said on Monday. The day will be commemorated as a national memorial day starting next year, according to KASA, established on May 27 this year, Yonhap news agency reported.
The designation has been made to uphold the country's goal of becoming one of the five global aerospace industry leaders and creating a space economy, it said. KASA added it will work to come up with various celebration events for the inaugural Aerospace Day in 2025 and inspire the morale of workers in the aerospace industry.
Earlier this month, a solar coronagraph jointly developed by South Korea and the US was successfully installed on the International Space Station (ISS). It will begin its mission of observing the sun and its outer atmosphere, or corona, KASA said. The Coronal Diagnostic Experiment (CODEX) was installed on the ISS's external platform, successfully received power, and established communications, KASA said.
Meanwhile, KASA has also joined hands with NASA to conduct studies related to the Moon exploration Artemis programme. KASA has signed a study agreement on the Artemis programme with NASA, aimed at conducting research projects for sustainable Moon exploration and Mars exploration preparations, Yonhap reported.
Under the agreement, KASA and NASA will collaborate to conduct feasibility studies on lunar landers, space communications, positioning, navigation and timing, tools and applications to support astronauts, and space based life sciences and medical operations. The projects also include lunar surface science and autonomous power, robotics, and mobility systems, as well as activities in the cis-lunar space, which refers to the region of space between the Earth and the Moon.
South Korea is one of the 47 countries that have signed the Artemis Accords, a US led international agreement for lunar exploration.