Hanwha Aerospace chosen for Nuri's technology transfer

Tech

Published: 07 Oct. 2022, 17:40

Hanwha Aerospace chosen for Nuri's technology transfer

First Vice Minister Oh Tae-Seog of the Ministry of Science and ICT speaks during a space development promotion working committee meeting in Jongno District, central Seoul, Friday. [MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND ICT]

Hanwha Aerospace was named the preferred bidder for the technology transfer for Korea's first domestically-developed launch vehicle.

The decision was part of a government policy to bring the private sector into space exploration, similar to NASA’s technology transfer to SpaceX. Korea's space programs have been led by the state-run Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) and the Ministry of Science and ICT.

The science ministry on Friday held a space development promotion committee meeting chaired by First Vice Minister Oh Tae-Seog, and it selected Hanwha Aerospace as the preferred bidder for the Korea Space Launch Vehicle Advance Project.

When the deal is finalized in November, the ministry will provide technology to Hanwha Aerospace to help improve the Nuri rocket, or Korean Space Launch Vehicle-II (KSLV-II).

The Korea Space Launch Vehicle Advance Project, which will run from 2022 through 2027, will enhance the technological reliability of the Nuri rocket, with an estimated budget of 687.4 billion won ($486 million).

The Nuri rocket completed two test launches so far, the first in Oct. 2021 and the second last June.

Hanwha Aerospace will participate in the next four test launches of the Nuri.

Hanwha Aerospace will supervise the integration of the launch vehicle and manage suppliers for the rocket parts. KARI, which spearheaded the Nuri program so far, will transfer technologies through all stages of the rocket launch, from designing and assembling the launch vehicle to performance test and launch operation.

Though Hanwha Aerospace took part in the Nuri mission as the engine supplier, it had not overseen the assembly process or taken a management role in the program before.

In the third launch slated for the first half of 2023, the Nuri rocket will be carrying a 100-kilogram satellite developed by KAIST.

Hanwha Aerospace and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) participated in the bidding for the program. The science ministry assessed each company’s technological capability (90 percent) and cost competitiveness (10 percent) for the past three months, before making a final decision.

KAI — which is 26.4 percent owned by its largest shareholder, the Export-Import Bank of Korea — built the first-stage fuel tank and oxidizer tank for the Nuri rocket and assembled parts supplied by domestic companies in previous test launches.

During the Friday meeting, the ministry approved a revised draft of the space industry cluster plan as well.

In a previous draft, the government envisioned a space industry cluster consisting of a specialized district for the launch vehicle industry in South Jella and another for satellites in South Gyeongsang. In the revised draft, a plan to establish a research and education-focused district to foster space experts was added, which is expected to be in Daejeon.

The space industry cluster plan will be finalized by the National Space Committee under the president after the site selection and project review process is complete.

BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]