'Hanwha vs KAI' ... Which Private Company Will Lead South Korea's Space Development?

Government Initiates Selection Process for System Integration Company to Oversee Nuriho Enhancement Project by End of This Month

The Korean launch vehicle Nuriho (KSLV-II), designed and manufactured entirely with domestic technology, is soaring into space with flames erupting from the launch pad at Naro Space Center in Goheung-gun, Jeollanam-do on the 21st. Unlike the first launch, which carried only a dummy satellite with no actual functionality, the second launch of Nuriho this time included a performance verification satellite and four CubeSats. / Goheung = Photo by Joint Press Corps

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] The government has begun selecting private companies to lead the development of the next-generation Korean launch vehicle following Nuriho. Hanwha Aerospace and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), which played pivotal roles in the development of Nuriho, are fiercely competing.

On the afternoon of the 7th, the Ministry of Science and ICT held the 42nd Space Development Promotion Working Committee meeting and approved the plan to select a system integrator company for the Korean Launch Vehicle Advancement Project (draft). First, by the end of this month, a bid announcement will be made for the system integrator company to receive technology transfer for the design, manufacturing, and launch of Nuriho. After evaluation, a preferred negotiation partner will be selected by September. If selected as the system integrator company, they will jointly work with the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) until 2027, investing a total of 687.88 billion KRW to repeatedly launch Nuriho four times while receiving technology transfer for design, manufacturing, and launch.

They are also expected to lead the development and production of the upgraded Nuriho, the next-generation Korean launch vehicle, which is currently undergoing preliminary feasibility review. Currently, Nuriho can place 1.5-ton satellites into low Earth orbit (600?800 km), but its launch cost per kilogram is about $32,000, making it uncompetitive in the global launch vehicle market. The government is considering a plan to invest about 2 trillion KRW to increase the 75-ton class Nuriho liquid engine to 100 tons and develop a reusable engine with thrust control and recovery capabilities. The system integrator company is highly likely to participate with KARI in the development and mass production of the next-generation launch vehicle after 2027.

Only domestic companies that have experience in manufacturing or total assembly and delivery of Korean launch vehicle systems, subsystems, components (including ground systems), or are currently contracted to develop them can apply for the bid.

In the industry, KAI, which was the system integrator for Nuriho, and Hanwha Aerospace of the Hanwha Group, which led engine development, are competing.

Minister Oh Tae-seok of the Ministry of Science and ICT is attending and presiding over the Space Development Promotion Working Committee meeting held on the afternoon of the 7th. Photo by Ministry of Science and ICT

Meanwhile, at the meeting, a plan was also finalized to designate a launch vehicle specialized zone and a satellite specialized zone to foster the space industry led by the private sector. The metropolitan area is excluded from the candidate sites, and priority is given to locations with existing related infrastructure (facilities, equipment, etc.). Candidate sites will be selected at the metropolitan government level, followed by consultations to finalize the location. Selection criteria will be established this month, and a review committee will be formed to complete the selection of the optimal candidate site. Next month, letters of intent and business plans will be received from the local governments of the optimal candidate sites, and after reviewing and requesting revisions based on the suitability criteria, the final designation will be made at the National Space Committee next month. The construction of full-scale infrastructure such as combustion test facilities and space environment test facilities in the specialized zones will begin after applying for preliminary feasibility study in September and will start in 2024.

The lunar orbiter project scheduled to launch on the 3rd of next month was also reported. ‘Danuri,’ Korea’s first space probe, is currently being transported to the U.S. Space Force base at Cape Canaveral. After a one-month inspection process, it will be launched aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. Following a 4?5 month journey, it will enter lunar orbit at the end of December and conduct scientific and technological missions such as lunar observation by orbiting about 12 times a day for approximately one year.

Oh Tae-seok, First Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT, stated, “With the successful second launch of Nuriho securing public support, the establishment of institutional foundations through amendments to the Space Development Promotion Act, and the government’s strong policy will reflected in national agendas, now is the golden time for fostering Korea’s space industry.” He added, “We will make every effort in policy initiatives not to miss this opportunity, to create a self-sustaining space industry ecosystem in Korea, and to usher in the era of the space economy.”

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