Russia, South Korea discuss space cooperation

MOSCOW, January 23 (RIA Novosti) - The head of the Russian Space Agency and members of the South Korean space delegation met to discuss progress on a joint-venture space vehicle that is scheduled for launch in October 2007, the agency said Monday.

Hong-Yul Paik, director of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, said the construction of the Korean Space Launch Vehicle, KSLV-1, was an important program for both countries.

The KSLV-1 carrier rocket is designed to deliver small satellites into low orbit. The Russian Khrunichev Space Center is building the KSLV-1, which is based on the Angara carrier rocket.

Russian agency head Anatoly Perminov and Hong-Yul Paik also discussed the launch of a Korean-made satellite by a Russian carrier rocket in 2006 and the possibility of a joint manned space flight program. According to Perminov, the flight of a South Korean astronaut to the International Space Station is scheduled for March-April 2008.