How Far Has Korean-Style Launch Vehicle Development Come?..."Transfer to Private Sector and Next-Generation Development Are Urgent Priorities"

Ministry of Science and ICT to Hold Expert Roundtable on Korean Launch Vehicle Advancement Project on the Morning of the 7th

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] South Korea's first domestic space launch vehicle, 'Nuriho,' is scheduled for its maiden launch on the 21st of next month. Amid this, there are calls to encourage the private sector to lead launch vehicle development and the market through technology transfer, while also accelerating public-sector research and development of next-generation launch vehicle technologies.

Professor Ahn Jae-myung of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) said at an expert panel discussion held online on the morning of the 7th, hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT, titled "The New Space Era and the Direction for Korean Launch Vehicles," "If the Korean launch vehicle succeeds in launching in October, South Korea will have its own independent space launch vehicle." He added, "Through the advancement project, I hope it will be a good opportunity to transfer the launch vehicle development technology that the government has accumulated over a long period to the private sector, thereby revitalizing the space industry."

Professor Kim Jeong-su of Pukyong National University also stated, "It is in line with the times for industrial companies to receive technology developed by government-funded research institutes to strengthen space industrialization," adding, "Alongside this, a next-generation Korean launch vehicle development project is also necessary to further advance domestic launch vehicle technology."

The development of the Korean launch vehicle Nuriho is in its final stages, led by the government with an investment of about 1.97 trillion KRW. It is designed to carry a payload of 1.5 tons into a 600 km orbit. The project will conclude after two launches scheduled for October and May next year. From next year until 2027, the government plans to promote the 'Korean Launch Vehicle Advancement Project,' conducting five additional launches to improve reliability and transfer technology to the private sector. However, the performance upgrade project budget of approximately 1.5 trillion KRW was put on hold following a preliminary feasibility study in June, which pointed out that the 'abolition of the Korea-US missile guidelines' was not considered and that there was a lack of challenging technological innovation attempts.

The Ministry of Science and ICT, together with the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), plans to reapply for the preliminary feasibility study around the end of this year and is reviewing specific performance improvement directions such as solid boosters, rocket reuse, clean fuel usage, significant thrust enhancement, and the application of advanced ICT technologies.

Yong Hong-taek, the 1st Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT, said at the panel discussion, "Now is the time to shift the launch vehicle development project system from a government-led approach to one where the private sector can play a more active role," adding, "through the advancement project, we hope to nurture and strengthen the domestic launch vehicle industry ecosystem and effectively enhance the private sector's space development capabilities. We will gather various opinions to reflect in the project so that it can be carried out more meaningfully."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.