South Korea Establishes Space Agency, Targets Mars Landing

2024-06-10

00:00 / 00:00
复读宝 RABC v8.0beta 复读机按钮使用说明
播放/暂停
停止
播放时:倒退3秒/复读时:回退AB段
播放时:快进3秒/复读时:前进AB段
拖动:改变速度/点击:恢复正常速度1.0
拖动改变复读暂停时间
点击:复读最近5秒/拖动:改变复读次数
设置A点
设置B点
取消复读并清除AB点
播放一行
停止播放
后退一行
前进一行
复读一行
复读多行
变速复读一行
变速复读多行
LRC
TXT
大字
小字
滚动
全页
1
  • South Korea has created a new national space agency to increase its capabilities and is aiming for a future Mars landing.
  • 2
  • President Yoon Suk Yeol recently announced the establishment of the Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA).
  • 3
  • He said the country plans to spend about $70 billion on future space exploration.
  • 4
  • "I have always believed that there is an infinite dream and future in outer space," Yoon said.
  • 5
  • The South Korean leader added that the agency would seek "to land a homegrown probe on the moon by 2032 and plant the (South Korean flag) on Mars by 2045."
  • 6
  • South Korean space officials say the newly formed agency will aim to establish better cooperation than in the past, when different government ministries were involved in space activities.
  • 7
  • All space efforts are now to be developed under the KASA.
  • 8
  • South Korea became the seventh country to own an indigenous space launch rocket.
  • 9
  • Last May, that vehicle, called Nuri, successfully launched a large satellite into orbit.
  • 10
  • Additional Nuri rocket launches are planned. One is set for the second half of 2025.
  • 11
  • In the next three years, South Korea plans at least three more space launches.
  • 12
  • It also aims to launch several military satellites.
  • 13
  • A KASA statement said the agency is modeled after the American space agency NASA.
  • 14
  • It said KASA would act as an "aerospace control tower," to oversee space policy, satellite development and exploration missions.
  • 15
  • Planned cooperative projects include expanding South Korea's involvement in Artemis 3, NASA's planned effort to put astronauts back on the moon by 2026.
  • 16
  • Research and development at KASA will be led by John Lee, who spent 30 years with NASA.
  • 17
  • Yoon said the country's space development budget would increase by $1.1 billion by 2027.
  • 18
  • That is double the current space budget.
  • 19
  • KASA will be headquartered in the city of Sacheon, in South Korea's far south.
  • 20
  • Yoon noted the government's plan to create the "Toulouse of Asia" in Sacheon.
  • 21
  • He was speaking about the southwestern French city of Toulouse,
  • 22
  • which developed into a European space capital because Airbus is headquartered there.
  • 23
  • KASA's planned moon landing in 2032 will be a joint project with Hanwha Aerospace, South Korea's largest defense and aerospace company.
  • 24
  • Roh Kyung-won is deputy administrator of KASA.
  • 25
  • He told the French news agency AFP, "Our aim is also to support the private sector in space missions as extensively as we can."
  • 26
  • One of the agency's first projects will involve a cooperation with Perigee Aerospace.
  • 27
  • The newly formed South Korean space company will aim to test a space launch vehicle from South Korea's southern Jeju Island as early as next month.
  • 28
  • International space experts say Yoon's announcement demonstrates the increasing efforts that Asian nations are putting into space programs for practical reasons.
  • 29
  • These include perfecting independent rocket technology and strengthening national pride.
  • 30
  • China has been heavily developing its space program and exploration missions in recent years.
  • 31
  • The country has successfully launched heavy-lift rockets, including the Long March 5.
  • 32
  • It has also established its Tiangong space station, sent unmanned moon probes and launched its Zhurong exploring vehicle, which reached Mars in 2021.
  • 33
  • Japan has also increased its national space activities.
  • 34
  • In January, it became the fifth nation to place a lander on the moon.
  • 35
  • Japan also plans to send an explorer, or rover, to Mars.
  • 36
  • And last year, India became the fourth country to land on the moon.
  • 37
  • I'm Bryan Lynn
  • 1
  • South Korea has created a new national space agency to increase its capabilities and is aiming for a future Mars landing.
  • 2
  • President Yoon Suk Yeol recently announced the establishment of the Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA). He said the country plans to spend about $70 billion on future space exploration.
  • 3
  • "I have always believed that there is an infinite dream and future in outer space," Yoon said. The South Korean leader added that the agency would seek "to land a homegrown probe on the moon by 2032 and plant the (South Korean flag) on Mars by 2045."
  • 4
  • South Korean space officials say the newly formed agency will aim to establish better cooperation than in the past, when different government ministries were involved in space activities. All space efforts are now to be developed under the KASA.
  • 5
  • South Korea became the seventh country to own an indigenous space launch rocket. Last May, that vehicle, called Nuri, successfully launched a large satellite into orbit. Additional Nuri rocket launches are planned. One is set for the second half of 2025.
  • 6
  • In the next three years, South Korea plans at least three more space launches. It also aims to launch several military satellites.
  • 7
  • A KASA statement said the agency is modeled after the American space agency NASA. It said KASA would act as an "aerospace control tower," to oversee space policy, satellite development and exploration missions.
  • 8
  • Planned cooperative projects include expanding South Korea's involvement in Artemis 3, NASA's planned effort to put astronauts back on the moon by 2026. Research and development at KASA will be led by John Lee, who spent 30 years with NASA.
  • 9
  • Yoon said the country's space development budget would increase by $1.1 billion by 2027. That is double the current space budget.
  • 10
  • KASA will be headquartered in the city of Sacheon, in South Korea's far south. Yoon noted the government's plan to create the "Toulouse of Asia" in Sacheon. He was speaking about the southwestern French city of Toulouse, which developed into a European space capital because Airbus is headquartered there.
  • 11
  • KASA's planned moon landing in 2032 will be a joint project with Hanwha Aerospace, South Korea's largest defense and aerospace company.
  • 12
  • Roh Kyung-won is deputy administrator of KASA. He told the French news agency AFP, "Our aim is also to support the private sector in space missions as extensively as we can."
  • 13
  • One of the agency's first projects will involve a cooperation with Perigee Aerospace. The newly formed South Korean space company will aim to test a space launch vehicle from South Korea's southern Jeju Island as early as next month.
  • 14
  • International space experts say Yoon's announcement demonstrates the increasing efforts that Asian nations are putting into space programs for practical reasons. These include perfecting independent rocket technology and strengthening national pride.
  • 15
  • China has been heavily developing its space program and exploration missions in recent years. The country has successfully launched heavy-lift rockets, including the Long March 5. It has also established its Tiangong space station, sent unmanned moon probes and launched its Zhurong exploring vehicle, which reached Mars in 2021.
  • 16
  • Japan has also increased its national space activities. In January, it became the fifth nation to place a lander on the moon. Japan also plans to send an explorer, or rover, to Mars.
  • 17
  • And last year, India became the fourth country to land on the moon.
  • 18
  • I'm Bryan Lynn
  • 19
  • Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
  • 20
  • _________________________________________
  • 21
  • Words in This Story
  • 22
  • infinite - adj. extremely large or great
  • 23
  • probe - n. a vehicle used in space exploration
  • 24
  • indigenous - adj. having always lived or existed in a place
  • 25
  • aerospace - n. the design and production of aircraft
  • 26
  • mission - n. an important project or trip, especially involving space travel
  • 27
  • extensive - adj. large in amount or size
  • 28
  • practical - adj. relating to real situations or actions and not to thoughts or ideas