SEOUL - South Korea will join a U.S.-led space security training event later this month, as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance its defense capabilities in space.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the country will send personnel from the Air Force, the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute to take part in the Global Sentinel 2024. The event is scheduled to be hosted by the U.S. Space Command at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, starting Monday (local time) and continuing until February 16.
The training is set to draw some 250 participants from 28 countries, aiming to bolster cooperation in space domain awareness. Key areas of focus will include managing satellite collisions and addressing the issue of falling space debris. South Korea is expected to collaborate closely with teams from Australia, Japan, and New Zealand to develop and practice response strategies for such scenarios. Additionally, other South Korean officials from the Army, the Navy, and the Agency for Defense Development will be present as observers.
This participation marks South Korea's continued involvement in Global Sentinel, which dates back to 2014. The initiative reflects Seoul's commitment to advancing its capabilities in space, underscored by the recent launch of its first military spy satellite last December. The Air Force also highlighted plans to further elevate its space domain capabilities by upgrading its Space Operations Squadron to a group-level unit and deploying a space weather prediction system within the year.