An overview of BAE Systems’ Space & Mission Systems (SMS) division. Courtesy of BAE Systems
Global defense company BAE Systems said Thursday it plans to actively pursue cooperation opportunities with Korea amid expanding investment in the space industry.
Bonnie Patterson, vice president and general manager of civil space at BAE Systems’ Space & Mission Systems (SMS) division, outlined the direction at a technology briefing held the previous day at the company’s Korea office in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.
“Going forward, the civil space sector will see a variety of new business opportunities, including corporate ownership of space resources,” Patterson said. “Beyond that, we will also be able to explore cooperation opportunities with Korea in areas considered highly commercially viable, such as the lunar economy and weather observation.”
BAE Systems and Korea have maintained ongoing cooperation in the space sector. A representative example is the Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS), jointly developed with the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI). The instrument was launched aboard the Chollian-2B satellite in 2020 and has been carrying out environmental observation missions, including measuring air quality in the Korea and Asia-Pacific region. On this point, Patterson said, “We want to continue successful satellite payload development cooperation by working closely with international partners, including Korea.”
Bonnie Patterson, Vice President and General Manager of Civil Space at BAE Systems SMS, briefs on the division’s business progress at the company’s Korea office in Yongsan, Seoul, on the 19th. Reporter Jang Hyung-im
However, the company also noted that the form and direction of cooperation may shift, given that Korea’s space industry has recently been transitioning from a government-led “old space” system to a private-sector-led “new space” framework.
Sheldon Drobot, senior director of international cooperation and business development for civil space, said in this regard, “Over the next few years, our goal is to better understand the capabilities of Korean industry and figure out how we can cooperate.”
Michael Kahn, head of BAE Systems’ Korea office, said, “Building on a history of cooperation that includes the successful results of the GEMS instrument, we have great interest in Korea’s space capabilities.” He added, “We are paying particular attention to how private space companies have recently been rapidly building capabilities in satellites, launch vehicles, and space exploration.” He continued, “As the Korean government has recently been actively investing in space infrastructure, we believe this will also offer very good cooperation opportunities for BAE Systems.”
Headquartered in the United Kingdom, BAE Systems is Europe’s largest defense company, operating across diverse fields including aerospace, maritime, and ground. Last year, the company recorded an all-time high of 36.8 billion pounds (about 70 trillion won) in new orders, driven by the prolonged war in Ukraine and intensifying U.S.-China tensions, and has continued robust growth this year, supported by military operations in the Middle East and other factors. The latest briefing was arranged as officials from the headquarters’ SMS division visited Korea to meet with domestic space industry stakeholders.
