Goheung, Jeju vying to host Korea's 2nd space center

Two regions are vying to host Korea’s planned second space center, which will be capable of launching and landing reusable launch vehicles, with the host region to be announced in October, the country’s space authority said Sunday. According to the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City (formerly South Jeolla Province and Gwangju) and Jeju Special Self-Governing Province have applied for the open bidding for the country's second space center. KASA did not specify exact sites for the space center, but South Jeolla Province has been promoting Goheung County as a candidate region, while Jeju has reportedly proposed using a floating launch facility in waters off the city of Seogwipo on the island. The second space center is designed to support more than 10 reusable launch vehicle operations annually from the mid- to late 2030s. The government aims to establish launch, landing and maintenance facilities for reusable launch vehicles on a site covering about 5.62 million square meters by 2034. Korea currently mostly relies on the Naro Space Center i