Korean Information Service, Russia's parliament has ratified a technology cooperation pact that removes the last remaining hurdle to Korea's space program, the government said Thursday (June 7).
“The Russian Senate passed the Technology Safeguard Agreement on Wednesday that outlines the transfer and protection of sensitive rocket technology and parts,” a press release by the Ministry of Science and Technology said. It said the pact will go into effect in late June.
The ministry said this step will allow Russia to ship the first stage booster of the Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1 (KSLV-1) rocket that is scheduled to blast off late next year.
The second stage part of the rocket is being constructed in South Korea with the help of Russian technology. The two will be put together and tested at the nearly complete Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province next year.
The KSLV-1 will carry an experimental satellite into orbit, and will be the first space vehicle to be launched from Korean soil. If the launch takes place on time, the country will be the 13th in the world assemble its own satellite and rocket and launch it into space.
The ministry said a second KSLV-1 rocket will blast off from Naro with a scientific satellite in 2009.
The country sent up 10 scientific, communications and multipurpose satellites in the past, but they all used foreign rockets and launched outside the country.
The agreement, signed by Seoul and Moscow on October 17, 2006, was ratified by Korea's National Assembly in early December and the Russian and awaited reciprocal steps by Russian lawmakers.
The State Duma, or lower house, passed the pact on May 23.
In addition to the transfer of technology, the safeguard pact calls on both countries to adhere to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), which aims to ensure transparency in the development of rockets.
The MTCR has strict rules against the use of space technology for military applications and bans any information and know-how learned through peaceful rocket building from being handed over to a third country.
Seoul has long-term plans to launch probes beyond Earth's orbit, and is currently working with Russia to send its first astronaut into space in April 2008. Two astronaut candidates are training in Russia with one to be selected in August.
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