NASA And KASA Hold First Bilateral Meeting In Busan

NASA and KASA meetings (photo: Doc. NASA)

JAKARTA NASA held its first bilateral meeting with the Korean National Space Administration (KASA). The meeting was held in Busan, Korea on July 15 to discuss space exploration. NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, who previously visited Japan, was present at the meeting with other senior NASA leaders. Meanwhile, officials representing KASA are Administrator Yoon Young-bin. Over the past year, US and South Korea relations in the space sector have progressed a lot. The two countries are heavily involved in collaborative initiatives for space science discipline, including commitments to open science. Through the first bilateral meeting with the Korean space agency which was founded last May, NASA wants to increase cooperation under the Artemis mission program. In addition, NASA also wants to expand collaboration on other science missions.

"The bilateral meeting marks an important moment for NASA's relationship with KASA," NASA said via its official blog. "In the future, NASA and KASA are exploring various opportunities and encouraging innovation in new areas." Before KASA was established, NASA was actively working with the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) to share data. NASA shared Deep Space Network (DSN) data, while KARI shared Korean data on Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO). This collaboration may continue, but NASA will be more interacting with KASA in the future. With the establishment of space agencies in Korea, it is hoped that NASA can focus on improving collaboration and international cooperation.