[21st Century Space War]② How Far Have Our Launch Vehicle and Satellite Technologies Advanced?

Nuriho Launch Cost $32,500 per kg
10 Times That of SpaceX Falcon 9
KARI: "20-Year Technology Gap with SpaceX"

With the success of Korea's own launch vehicle, 'Nuriho,' the country has firmly established itself as a space power. Trust in Korea's capabilities in launch vehicle manufacturing and launch operations has significantly increased both domestically and internationally. Expectations are also rising for Korea's entry into the commercial launch service market. However, the core technology for future space industry development?reusable launch vehicles?still has a long way to go. Some analyses suggest it will take at least 20 years to catch up with SpaceX, which possesses the world's leading reusable launch vehicle technology.

A 20-Year Technological Gap with SpaceX

On May 25th at 6:24 PM, the third Nuriho was successfully launched into space and completed its flight. Not only did Nuriho fly normally, but it also successfully placed a satellite into orbit, fulfilling the mission of a space launch vehicle and effectively proving Korea's indigenous space launch vehicle technology capabilities. The third launch is called the 'first operational launch' because it carried a practical satellite rather than a performance verification satellite or a satellite mock-up. While the first and second launches verified the manufacturing and launch technologies of the launch vehicle, the third launch secured satellite deployment technology as well.

Although the entire nation cheered for Nuriho's success, experts from the private sector and academia agree that there is still a long way to go before Korea can leap to a space power and establish an industrial ecosystem. Nuriho is a disposable launch vehicle that can be used only once. Until now, the high launch costs of disposable launch vehicles have been considered a barrier to activating the space industry. It is difficult to generate profits using disposable launch vehicles, which is why even successful launch service providers conduct only about 5 to 6 launches annually, according to industry insiders.

Above all, Nuriho is rated very low in terms of efficiency. The competitiveness of a launch vehicle is determined by the cost per kilogram of satellite weight launched into space. SpaceX, for example, reuses the first stage of its Falcon 9 launch vehicle to reduce the launch cost to an average of $2,700 per kilogram, dominating the global launch service market. The first-stage booster can be reused up to 10 times with simple maintenance and up to 100 times with comprehensive refurbishment. In contrast, Nuriho's launch cost per kilogram, excluding development costs, exceeds $32,500, more than ten times that of Falcon 9.

So, how long will it take for Korea to catch up with SpaceX's technological prowess? The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) diagnosed in a paper titled 'Exploratory Study for Securing Reusable Launch Vehicle Technology,' published last August, that it would take about 20 years considering Korea's current technology level and research and development (R&D) status. Korea's research on reusable launch vehicle technology is virtually nonexistent.

During the existing Nuriho development process, basic technology research such as engine reignition technology was conducted, and some reusable launch vehicle technologies were researched, such as guidance navigation control technology developed under the government's Space Challenge project. However, efforts to secure reusable technology through demonstration vehicle development were generally insufficient, as the next-generation launch vehicle development project was put on hold in the preliminary feasibility study (PFS).

[Image source=Yonhap News]

KARI analyzes that developing a reusable launch vehicle requires the development of numerous challenging core technologies, including guidance control for return flight, grid fins for directional control and stability during landing, landing gear, reusable engines, thermal protection, fairing reuse, and ground support systems and operations for landing.

Professor Heo Hwan-il of the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Chungnam National University pointed out that a human and institutional foundation independent of government leadership must be established. He said, "Since Korea's space projects are government-led, mistakes are often not tolerated. This is why it is difficult for Korea to catch up with SpaceX in an industry where trial and error are inevitable." He added, "Whether private companies or government agencies, they need to hire people and give them freedom. The achievements of SpaceX were possible because Elon Musk recruited world-class rocket engineer Tom Mueller and gave him almost full authority."

Domestic Satellite Technology at a High Level

The fortunate thing is that Korea's satellite technology has reached a certain orbit. On the 5th, Korea's first purely domestically developed commercial Earth observation satellite, led by the private sector, successfully launched itself. It is a small SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) Earth observation satellite developed and manufactured by Hanwha Systems.

This satellite launch proved Korea's domestic technological capabilities in satellite manufacturing and launch, fields that had been highly dependent on overseas technology. It is highly significant as Korea achieved its first domestic production in a sector where space powers have controlled exports to maintain technological hegemony.

Currently, Hanwha Systems is awaiting the first communication between the satellite and the ground station at its Yongin Research Institute Satellite Control Center. The company plans to use the small SAR satellite for B2G (business-to-government) and B2B (business-to-business) purposes, including ▲environmental monitoring through high-resolution satellite image analysis, ▲data analysis for GIS (Geographic Information System) map production, and ▲automatic fusion and analysis of satellite image information to create various added values.

Earlier, on the 2nd, the '425 EO/IR (Electro-Optical/Infrared) satellite,' jointly produced by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and KARI, was launched into space aboard a SpaceX launch vehicle. It is Korea's first military reconnaissance satellite. The second reconnaissance satellite, scheduled for sequential launches starting next year, will also be equipped with an SAR payload.

The Agency for Defense Development, KARI, and KAI have been steadily developing EO/IR and SAR military reconnaissance satellites since 2018. Once the reconnaissance satellite system development is completed, the Korean military will have the capability to collect observation data of key interest areas within a few hours.

Thus, Korea's satellite technology is evaluated as highly competitive globally. When the first Our Star 1 satellite was launched in 1992, Korea had to learn technology by visiting university research institutes in the UK and building satellites through observation. However, Korea has now advanced to the level of independently developing satellites such as the ultra-high-resolution 'Arirang' and the geostationary 'Cheollian.' To date, Korea has built and launched about 20 satellites. The government plans to launch and operate two multipurpose practical satellites, four next-generation medium satellites, and eleven 100 kg-class ultra-small cluster satellites by 2027.

Domestic satellite technology holds even greater promise for the future. Earlier, the Ministry of Science and ICT selected a technology development project for securing competitiveness in the low Earth orbit satellite communication industry as a preliminary feasibility study target in October. A budget of 480 billion won has been allocated from 2025 to 2031. The goal is to develop a low Earth orbit satellite communication system and achieve technological independence in core technologies by 2030.