■ Background and necessity

● Since 2010, the global education trend has shifted to nurturing ‘creative convergence talents’, and accordingly, Korea’s Ministry of Education has also been fostering creative convergence talents through ‘STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) Education’ since 2011. expressed his will to foster

● The space field is a representative field of cutting-edge technology development and requires comprehensive education to increase interest and understanding of space science from the elementary, middle, and high school levels, but the effectiveness of space science education in the current convergence education program is poor.

● Accordingly, through an analysis of the current status of space potential manpower development education in advanced countries in space development and a diagnosis of Korea's current education status, we seek improvement plans to improve the effectiveness of space-related convergence talent training education in the future.

■ Status of space education in elementary, middle, and high schools in Korea

● Currently, Korea’s convergence education (STEAM) program development project is being handled by the Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science and Creativity, but the category presented as a convergence research project is ‘mathematics/physics.’ The space to include ‘space science’ as ‘chemistry’, ‘earth science/environment’, ‘life science’, and ‘engineering’ is ambiguous.

● Accordingly, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute established the KARI Academy in 2021 to popularize and revitalize aerospace education, but its effectiveness is not great in the field of ‘spreading space science’ beyond employee job training and OJT.

● Meanwhile, ‘Pebble of Space’, a private-level program established in 2022 by benchmarking NASA Space School, is gaining great popularity as a 6-month customized gifted education for middle school students jointly planned and provided by Hanwha Space Hub and KAIST.

■ Status of training to foster potential space manpower in major countries

● Most of the major space development countries are implementing and operating experience-centered holistic technical education programs at space research institutes, and providing a variety of materials by directly developing space-related educational materials and establishing close alliances with space-related institutions such as science museums and museums. has exist

● Basically, it consists of a program that inspires and encourages future scientific talent by providing a field-oriented curriculum by including collaborative work activities in STEM-based education initiatives, and a more integrated program is presented in conjunction with companies and schools. In some cases

■ Suggestions for nurturing human resources in space science in the future

● Expand space education and strengthen the expertise of space-specialized educational institutions

- Korea Aerospace Research Institute has attempted to popularize and revitalize space education by establishing the “KARI Academy” starting in 2021, but there are still no results beyond on-the-job training and online academy classes for in-house members, so there is no need to expand and strengthen expertise in the field of education. need

● Strengthening company-centered contests, lectures, and basic education

- Since the ratio of non-majors among the workforce of space companies exceeds 95%, it is necessary to design corporate development programs that not only foster majors but also increase exposure of non-majors to the space industry as a whole, and for this purpose, support in the form of priming at the government level is needed. Can be an alternative for corporate participation

● In designing Korean-style STEAM education, consider establishing a major department of ‘Space Science and Exploration’

- ‘Space Science and Exploration’ was newly established in the major divisions of convergence research projects reviewed by the Creative Foundation to encourage the design of new space science education programs.