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Entire South Korean Space Programme Shuts Down As Sole Astronaut Quits

Posted by samzenpus on from the take-this-job-and-launch-it dept.

An anonymous reader writes The entire South Korean space program has been forced to shut down after its only astronaut resigned for personal reasons. Yi So-yeon, 36, became the first Korean in space in 2008 after the engineer was chosen by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) to lead the country's $25m space project. Her resignation begs questions of KARI regarding whether she was the right person to lead the program and whether the huge cost of sending her into space was a waste of taxpayer's money.

6 of 186 comments (clear)

  1. What's wrong with someone resigning after 6 years? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    "Her resignation begs questions of KARI regarding whether she was the right person to lead the program.."

    Not at all - 6 years of service, why can't she resign?

  2. So no engineers? Scientists? Designers? by AHuxley · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Lots of nations tried different ways of getting into space. Some like the UK and Australia did deals with the USA.
    East Germany looked to the Soviet Union.
    Long term the only way for a nation to get into space is to do do India did. Fully understand every aspect of the basic science and have your own hardware and software production, then move onto the next easy stage of space technology.
    Other space nations will give you a free ride for the press or sell you tech but will not give away their own hard work.

    --
    Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
  3. Re:"matter of national pride " by TapeCutter · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Thanks, I was wondering how their "space program" managed to get someone into space for the ridiculously low price of $25M. Makes sense now, a "tourist" seat on a Russian Soyuz to the IIS costs around $20M.

    --
    And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
  4. Re:She quit because... by Strider- · · Score: 4, Interesting

    She was afraid of heights!

    I've actually sat around and gotten drunk with a couple of astronauts, both of whom have spacewalked. Apparently you don't get vertigo looking down towards the earth, it's when you look into the void. (Note that the helmets are designed so that as long as you're looking ahead, it's not within your field of view.

    --
    ...si hoc legere nimium eruditionis habes...
  5. Re:begs FFS by hey! · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Sometimes the loss of an awkward construction is a gain for language.

    "Begging the question" was never a very good choice of terminology -- a half-baked translation from the Latin petitio principii. You might as well use the Latin because you have to know what the term means to have an chance of decoding its meaning; the words give no clue. "Asking ill-founded questions" or "asking premature questions" would have been better.

    "Begging the question" has *always* misled most readers and hearers, and we're better off with the new meaning, which *everybody* understands (although many dislike).

    --
    Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
  6. She probably wants kids by A+Friendly+Troll · · Score: 1, Interesting

    She's 36, married, no children.

    Guess that's what "personal reasons" are. The biological clock is ticking.