Department of Space Exploration (Reykanes)
Geimkönnunardeild | |
 | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | GKD |
| Formed | October 20, 1973 |
| Status | active |
| Official language | Reykani |
The Department of Space Exploration (Reykani:Geimkönnunardeild,GKD) is a government agency established in 1973 to fund, regulate and coordinate space exploration activities in Reykanes. The agency cooperates with numerous national and international entities who are active in aerospace research and technology. Its main laboratories are located in Norðurborg, in the Norðurborg Science Village. GKD's vision is to continue building upon indigenous launch capabilities, strengthen national safety and public service, industrialize satellite information and applications technology, explore the Moon, and develop environmentally-friendly and highly-efficient cutting-edge aircraft and core aerospace technology. It operates multiple space telescopes all around Reykanes.
History
The history can be traced to the short-lived National Aerospace Development Department and Strategic Rocket Forces, the predecessor of the GKD, that was active during the Reykani Socialist Republic. The Communist leadership after being inspired by the emergence of the space flight around the world, created the department to fabricate the start of the Reykani Space Program. With the help of other Socialist countries, they developed the E-1, a sounding rocket, only two was launched, the first crashed and the second was successfully launched and reached lower space. The Department was dissolved after the 1957 Coup.
Most scientists were accepted back, when the GKD was established in 1973. In the first few years the backbone came from who worked on the E-1 rocket project. GKD started to work on its own rockets with international help in the 1990s. It developed its first satellites during early 2000s and not long after its own Launch vehicles in the 2010s.
