Minimalism in Space Rockets... The Golden Age of Small Launch Vehicles [Reading Science]

Trend of Satellite Miniaturization in Science and Technology Advancement
Small Launch Vehicles More Advantageous than Large Ones
Global Startup Surge, Korea Still in Infancy Stage

Expensive and crowded large launch vehicles are out; the era of minimalism has come to space rockets as well.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] As commercialization of the space sector accelerates worldwide, the small launch vehicle market is rapidly growing. In the so-called ‘NewSpace’ era, small satellites are actively launched for space internet, 5G and 6G ultra-high-speed communication networks, and startups developing these are increasing like mushrooms after rain. However, South Korea is still in its infancy, and there are calls for securing launch vehicle technology competitiveness and reliability to preempt the market, along with active investment and nurturing policies.

Why Small Launch Vehicles?

According to the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), as of 2020, about 2,060 satellites are operated worldwide, of which 930 are small satellites weighing less than 500kg, nearly half. In 2019, out of 500 satellites launched, 389 were small satellites. According to a recent paper titled ‘Status of Domestic and International Startup Small Launch Vehicle Development’ by Professor Lee Hyung-jin of Inha University’s Department of Aerospace Engineering, the number of small satellites to be launched over the next 10 years is expected to be 8,588, about 5.8 times the 1,470 launched in the past decade.

There are over 100 planned or already launched small satellite constellation missions worldwide, and the number of small satellite launches is expected to increase rapidly. Park Jae-sung, head of KARI’s Small Launch Vehicle Research Division, explained, "Satellite components have become smaller and more advanced than before, and placing satellites in low Earth orbit is advantageous for missions such as communication, reconnaissance, and surveillance, so there is no need to make satellites large. Also, it is much more efficient when performing constellation missions, which has greatly increased demand for small satellites."

The problem is that the existing launch vehicle market struggles to meet this small satellite launch demand. Large launch vehicles have the advantage of carrying dozens of satellites at once, but when launching a small number of small satellites, one must wait their turn. Due to the high cost, the total number of launches is low, resulting in a shortage of payload supply. The cost per kilogram for small launch vehicles is 10 to 20 times higher than the cheapest large reusable launch vehicles like SpaceX’s Falcon 9 (about 16 million KRW per kg). However, the total cost per launch is only several billion KRW, much less than the roughly 100 billion KRW for large launch vehicles. Above all, the biggest advantage is the ability to freely launch satellites at desired locations and times while maintaining security.

Rapid Increase in Global Small Launch Vehicles

The Electron launch vehicle developed by the U.S. private space company Rocket Lab is a 2-stage small rocket measuring 17m in length, 1.2m in diameter, and weighing 10.5 tons, capable of carrying 150kg to low Earth orbit. On the 6th, it succeeded in its eighth launch this year alone, solidifying its position as a leader in the commercial launch market. Rocket Lab, aiming to become the ‘FedEx of space,’ has reduced the number of launch vehicle parts from 30,000 to 1,000 and produces key components using 3D printing, cutting costs dramatically so that the cost per launch is only 6.9 billion KRW.

British company Virgin Orbit has also emerged as a strong competitor in the small launch vehicle market by developing the LauncherOne, a simple and inexpensive launch vehicle. In Japan, the national agency Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) succeeded in launching the SS-520 small rocket, which is only the size of a utility pole (9.65m length, 0.52m diameter, 2.6 tons weight), and is attempting commercialization. According to related papers, the number of small launch vehicles worldwide was 31 in 2015 but increased fivefold to 155 last year. Since 2014, the number of small launch vehicle developers has surged, with over 40 startups established within seven years overseas, including 9 in the U.S. and 7 in China. There are also 7 companies older than seven years.

South Korea Is Still in Its 'Infancy'

Small launch vehicle development is underway in South Korea as well. In the private sector, development is being pursued by a total of four companies, but only two?Perigee Aerospace and Innospace?have actually built launch vehicles. Perigee is a startup founded in 2018 by students from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), which attracted attention by test-launching the prototype launch vehicle ‘Blue Whale 0.1’ in Jeju Island last December. It consists of two stages and uses an engine powered by liquid methane and liquid oxygen. It is being developed to carry ultra-small payloads of 40 to 50 kg to low Earth orbit or sun-synchronous orbit.

Innospace is developing the ‘Hanbit’ launch vehicle. It is developing a hybrid engine using solid fuel and liquid oxidizer. They are producing three versions of the launch vehicle: Hanbit-Nano with a payload of 50 kg (based on 500 km altitude), Hanbit-Micro with 150 kg, and Hanbit-Mini with 500 kg. Engine combustion tests were conducted in May 2020, and this year they plan to test-launch a vehicle equipped with a 15-ton hybrid rocket engine.

K-MaSH was established last year aiming to develop launch vehicles using 3D printing technology, and Unastella was founded earlier this year aiming to develop small launch vehicles with electric motor pump cycle engines, but neither has yet produced an actual launch vehicle.

The government has also started a national research and development (R&D) project. Based on the 75-ton engine technology acquired during the development of the Nuri rocket, which successfully launched in June, since March this year, a total of 27.8 billion KRW will be invested over six years to support the development of upper-stage engines for small launch vehicles and related services by private companies. On the 7th, Hanwha Aerospace was selected as the Korean launch vehicle system integrator company and will receive technology transfer, which is in line with this effort.

Director Park said, "The level of small launch vehicle technology in South Korea is still in its infancy in the private sector because technology development has been government-led so far. Even private companies that worked on the Nuri rocket do not yet have very high technical capabilities. If the government develops various missions suitable for small launch vehicles, provides frequent launch opportunities, supports core technology transfer and joint research on advanced technologies, and companies actively invest in manpower and budgets, South Korea can secure competitiveness in the global small launch vehicle market."