[Nuriho 3rd Launch] The Fruit of 13 Years of Effort... Ushering in the Space Economy Era

Opening the New Space Era
The Tearful and Glorious Development History
Who Was Onboard?
Differences from the Second Launch

"With a historic 18 minutes and 56 seconds flight, the dawn of the space economy and the New Space era has been opened."

The first Korean indigenous space launch vehicle, Nuriho, successfully completed its third launch on the 25th afternoon. It safely carried out the mission of placing a practical satellite into orbit, achieving the goal of practical use of space launch vehicles. Advanced science and technology space verification was also realized, and with the participation of private companies, it is evaluated as having opened the dawn of the space economy and the New Space era.

The third Nuriho launch vehicle was launched at 6:24 PM on the 25th. It was originally scheduled to launch at 6:24 PM on the 24th but was postponed by one day due to a ground facility malfunction. After liftoff, it reached the target altitude of 550 km and safely delivered its 'guests,' including the next-generation small satellite 2 (Chasohyeong 2) and seven CubeSats. However, only one Toyosat satellite remains unconfirmed. Chasohyeong 2 was confirmed to be in normal condition, with beacon signals received 43 minutes after launch. Signals were also detected from Toyosat 1 (8:03 PM) and LUMIR-T1 (7:53 PM). KARI Next-Generation Launch Vehicle Research Director Koh Jung-hwan said, "The important thing was that Nuriho successfully entered the target orbit and deployed the main payload, the next-generation small satellite 2, into orbit," adding, "It is a success that Nuriho precisely entered the target orbit and Chasohyeong 2 separated safely."

The Dawn of the Space Economy Era

This successful launch is significant in confirming Nuriho's flight performance and securing reliability. It demonstrated that through Nuriho, not only launch services but also various satellite operations and space explorations are possible. Especially, by succeeding in the primary role of a launch vehicle?satellite launch?it has enhanced related technologies and operational capabilities. The various hardships experienced due to the lack of an indigenous space launch vehicle are now a thing of the past.

Conversely, through technological improvements and niche market development, it has opened the possibility of entering the space launch vehicle market. As diverse space development becomes possible, it has also laid the foundation for revitalizing the nascent private space industry. Going forward, Nuriho is scheduled to fly three more times by 2027 under the leadership of Hanwha Aerospace, selected as the system integrator. Additionally, by 2030, a next-generation launch vehicle with more than three times the performance will be developed to launch a lunar landing probe in the 2030s.

Next-generation Small Satellite No. 2. Photo by KARI

Who Was Onboard?

The main payload, the next-generation small satellite 2, is for verifying domestically developed synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology, an advanced observation instrument. It is a national satellite developed by KAIST Satellite Technology Research Center with an investment of 24 billion KRW. It is equipped with a small SAR capable of ground observation during day, night, and adverse weather conditions. Using an X-band SAR with 5m resolution and 40km observation width, it performs missions such as monitoring Arctic sea ice changes directly affecting abnormal climate on the Korean Peninsula, forest ecosystem changes, marine environmental pollution, and solar activity observation. To verify core space technologies, it is also equipped with ▲ thermal control devices using phase change materials ▲ X-band GaN-based power amplifiers ▲ combined navigation receivers for the US GPS and Europe's Galileo systems ▲ solar array devices. Four Toyosat (SNIPE) satellites for space weather observation, developed by the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) with an investment of 10 billion KRW, were also launched. For the first time in Korea, small satellite swarm operation technology will be tested. Three technology demonstration CubeSats made by private companies?LUMIR T-1 (LUMIR), JAC (Justec), and KSAT3U (Kairospace)?were also launched.

A History of Tears and Glory

Nuriho is a three-stage space launch vehicle independently developed over 13 years since 2009, with an investment of about 1.957 trillion KRW using Korean technology. The development process over 13 years was full of various trials and tribulations. Technology was acquired during the development of Naroho with Russia until 2013. Despite the United States, Korea's greatest ally, not providing assistance, the team endured a difficult march.

In particular, the engine under development exploded due to resonance phenomena, and synchronizing four engines was a highly challenging task that troubled the researchers. The first launch in October 2021 flew normally but failed to place the satellite mock-up into orbit. The second launch in June last year faced setbacks such as strong winds and sensor failures, causing two postponements. The third launch also experienced a one-day delay due to a communication system failure, causing some commotion.

Differences from the Second Launch

Nuriho had already succeeded in the second launch in June last year, completing its development. What makes this third launch different is that it was the first 'real' mission. For the first time, Korea's indigenous launch vehicle carried and launched a practical-grade satellite, achieving historic success. If the second launch was a rehearsal, this was the actual mission. It carried a practical satellite worth hundreds of billions of KRW as a guest and successfully delivered it to the desired orbit.

The government plans to conduct additional Nuriho launches (Korean launch vehicle advancement) three times from 2025 to 2027, covering the 4th to 6th launches. The reason for repeated launches is to improve reliability through optimization and stabilization of the launch process. It will also have the effect of enhancing the domestic industrial ecosystem and technology.