This handout photo taken on July 20, 2020 and received on July 21 from the Republic of Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration shows a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the ANASIS-II satellite blasting off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. ROK's first ever military communications satellite was launched by private operator SpaceX, Seoul's defense procurement agency said on July 21. (HANDOUT / SOUTH KOREA's DEFENSE ACQUISITION PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION / AFP)
SEOUL – The Republic of Korea (ROK) plans to test its first domestically produced space launch vehicle next week, a major step toward jumpstarting the country’s space program and achieving ambitious goals in 6G networks, spy satellites, and even lunar probes.
If all goes well, the three-stage NURI rocket, designed by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) to eventually put 1.5-ton payloads into orbit 600 to 800 km above the Earth, will carry a dummy satellite into space on Thursday.
ROK’s last such booster, launched in 2013 after multiple delays and several failed tests, was jointly developed with Russia.
The new KSLV-II NURI has solely Korean rocket technologies, and is the country's first domestically built space launch vehicle, said Han Sang-yeop, director of KARI's Launcher Reliability Safety Quality Assurance Division.
If all goes well, the three-stage NURI rocket, designed by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) to eventually put 1.5-ton payloads into orbit 600 to 800 km above the Earth, will carry a dummy satellite into space on Thursday
"Having its own launch vehicle gives a country the flexibility of payload types and launch schedule," he told Reuters in an email.
Military and civilian benefits
It also gives the country more control over “confidential payloads” it may want to send into orbit, Han said.
That will be important for ROK’s plans to launch surveillance satellites into orbit.
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In 2020, a Falcon 9 rocket from the US firm Space X carried ROK’s first dedicated military communications satellite into orbit from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
NURI is also key to ROK plans to eventually build a Korean satellite-based navigation system and a 6G communications network.
“The program is designed not only to support government projects, but also commercial activity,” Oh Seung-hyub, director of the Launcher Propulsion System Development Division, said at a briefing on Tuesday.
ROK is working with the United States on a lunar orbiter, and hopes to land a probe on the moon by 2030.
Trial launch
Given problems with previous launches, Han and other planners said they have prepared for the worst.
The launch day may be changed at the last minute if weather or technical problems arise; the craft will carry a self-destruct mechanism to destroy it if it appears it won’t reach orbit; and media won’t be allowed to observe the test directly.
According to pre-launch briefing slides, the rocket’s planned path will take it southeast from its launch site on the south coast of the Korean Peninsula, threading its way over the ocean on a trajectory aimed at avoiding flying over Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, and other major land masses
At least four test launches are planned before the rocket will be considered reliable enough to carry a real payload.
According to pre-launch briefing slides, the rocket’s planned path will take it southeast from its launch site on the south coast of the Korean Peninsula, threading its way over the ocean on a trajectory aimed at avoiding flying over Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, and other major land masses.
"This upcoming launch may be remembered as the hope and achievement of Korean rocketry historically no matter the launch is successful or not," Han told Reuters.
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Sensitive technology
Space rockets on the Korean Peninsula have been fraught with concerns over their potential use for military purposes, leaving ROK’s efforts lagging more capable programs.
"Modern rocketry in Korea couldn't devote its capability much in R&D of rockets because of long-standing political issues," Han said.
ROK’s push into space comes as it speeds ahead with its own military ballistic missile systems after agreeing with the United States this year to end all bilateral restrictions on them.
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"There is no concern on military applications in NURI launch vehicle development," said Chang Young-keun, a missile expert at the Korea Aerospace University. Unlike the liquid-fuelled NURI, ROK’s military missiles use solid fuel, which is better for weapons, he added.
"Many space launch technologies are inherently dual-use," James Clay Moltz, a space systems expert at the US Naval Postgraduate School, said, but noted that he hopes NURI’s development will "not lead to an arms race in space, but instead a safer ‘information race’" where ROK has better intelligence to head off any future crisis.