Hanwha Aero, Nuriho Engine Shipment Ceremony..."Full Production Completed up to the 3rd Launch Batch"

Manufactured 46 Space Launch Vehicle Engines Since 2016

The Nuriho engine being shipped at Hanwha Aerospace Changwon Plant. (Photo by Hanwha Aero)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] Hanwha Aerospace announced on the 4th that it held a shipment ceremony for the 75-ton class engine used in Nuriho at its Changwon plant in Gyeongsangnam-do.

The 75-ton class engine for Nuriho is the first space launch vehicle engine developed independently by South Korea, with performance verified through flight tests. It is designed to withstand both the cryogenic liquid oxygen at minus 180℃ and the ultra-high temperature of 3300℃ generated during combustion. Since space launch vehicle engine technology is treated as a top secret by advanced space countries such as the United States and Russia, technology transfer between countries is virtually impossible. Therefore, all related technologies must be produced in-house, which the company explains indicates a high level of technological expertise.

The Nuri engine shipment ceremony held on the 2nd at Hanwha Aero Changwon Plant. (Photo by Hanwha Aero)

The shipment ceremony was held on the 2nd to commemorate the final delivery of engines for the "Korean Launch Vehicle (Nuriho) Development Project." It was attended by officials from the Korea Aerospace Research Institute and engine partner companies. Hanwha Aero began delivering the 75-ton class engines for Nuriho in March 2016 and has produced a total of 46 engines to date, including 34 units of the 75-ton class engine and 12 units of the 7-ton class engine.

The engine shipped this time will be used for the third launch of Nuriho. The Korean launch vehicle Nuriho, composed of three stages, is equipped with a total of six engines: four 75-ton class engines on the first stage, one 75-ton class engine on the second stage, and one 7-ton class engine on the third stage. Hanwha Aerospace produces all of these engines.

Engineers performing maintenance on the Nuri engine at Hanwha Aero's Changwon plant. (Photo by Hanwha Aero)

The Nuriho development project is a massive project led by the government from 2010 to 2022, involving over 300 companies and a total budget of 1.9572 trillion KRW, aimed at independently developing a space launch vehicle capable of placing a 1.5-ton class practical satellite into low Earth orbit (600~800 km).

Hanwha Aerospace is involved not only in engine production but also in manufacturing turbo pumps, various valves, and establishing test facilities. In the future, under the "Korean Launch Vehicle (Nuriho) Advancement Project," additional Nuriho engines will be produced. Shin Hyun-woo, president of Hanwha Aerospace, said, "We will secure capabilities not only in engine production but also as a system integration company to become one of the leading companies representing the space industry."

In March last year, Hanwha Group launched the Space Hub to consolidate the capabilities of affiliates such as Hanwha Aerospace, Hanwha Systems, and Hanwha. They are promoting various businesses including launch vehicles, satellites, and exploration while closely cooperating with domestic and international strategic partners such as Satrec Initiative, Hanwha Phazer, Kaemeta, and OneWeb.

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