[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] What If Solid Fuel Launch Vehicles Are Converted Into Missiles?

Intersection Capable of IRBM-Class Range of Approximately 5,500 km or More

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] With the success of the second test flight of the solid-fuel propulsion space launch vehicle by our military, there is growing anticipation that satellite launch vehicles can be directly launched after 2024. This success in the flight test of the solid-fuel propulsion space launch vehicle marks the second success following the first test on March 30 of this year.

According to the military on the 2nd, the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) completed the second test flight on the 30th of last month. The launch vehicle consists of a total of four stages. The test was conducted on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th stages, excluding the first stage, and the actual ignition and combustion of the engines of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th stages were tested. In this test, verification was also carried out for combustion of stages 2 to 4, fairing separation, stage separation, upper part attitude control, and separation of the dummy (simulated) satellite payload.

Our military’s top priority is to launch reconnaissance satellites that will monitor North Korea in real time, based on the solid-fuel propulsion space launch vehicle. The goal is to launch a 500 kg ultra-small synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite into a 500 km low Earth orbit around 2025. There is also a plan to later launch 32 ultra-small reconnaissance satellites at altitudes of several hundred kilometers. While the initial satellites are likely to be launched using foreign rockets, it is expected that domestically produced rockets will take over this role thereafter.

Compared to liquid-fuel propulsion, solid-fuel propulsion launch vehicles are more difficult to develop but have lower maintenance and launch costs. They are hardly constrained by time or physical limitations, which provides significant military advantages.

The solid-fuel satellite launch vehicle is known to have thrust equivalent to one liquid engine of the Korean launch vehicle Nuri (75 tons). It is evaluated to be at least at the level of an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) with a range of about 3,000 to 5,500 km. Because of this, the development of ballistic missiles at the level of or above the Hyunmoo-4 series is also possible.

Following the end of the South Korea-U.S. missile guidelines, our military has steadily developed the Hyunmoo series missiles. Depending on the launch site, the ground-launched surface-to-surface ballistic missile is named ‘Hyunmoo 4-1,’ the ship-launched surface-to-surface ballistic missile is ‘Hyunmoo 4-2,’ and the submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) is named ‘Hyunmoo 4-4.’

The Hyunmoo 4-1 has a warhead weight of 2 tons, possessing at least three times the penetration power compared to the currently strongest GBU-57. It can penetrate more than 24 meters of reinforced concrete and 180 meters of general ground, effectively reaching tactical nuclear-level power. The Hyunmoo 4-2 missile is planned to be mounted on a 30,000-ton class light aircraft carrier, and the Hyunmoo 4-4 missile on the 3,000-ton class submarine Dosan Ahn Changho.

A research institute official explained, "Although it has reached a considerable level, 100% reliability is required, so many more test launches are needed, and it must also align well with the satellite development process," adding, "The goal is to launch an actual satellite in 2025."

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