At 5:00 P.M. on October 21, the Korean Space Launch Vehicle II (KSLV-II) soared vigorously with a blue flame from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province. Although its payload, the dummy satellite, failed to enter orbit, it was considered a significant progress for Korea to successfully lift a missile weighing 200 tons up to 700 kilometers high. Despite the views opposing the celebration of an incomplete launch, it is time to pay more attention to future developments given that South Korea is now preparing to gain the title of the world’s seventh space power nation.

A space launch vehicle refers to a rocket missile that contains and carries payloads off of Earth and into orbit in space. According to Choi Hwan Seok Vice President of Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), the national institute that led the Nuri project, a spacecraft holds importance in the sense that having an individual system to build one symbolizes national power. South Korea had its first launch in 2013 with the Naro, but it was a joint mission assisted by Russian technology. After eight years, South Korea launched Nuri, a project that was entirely carried out by domestic researchers and technicians.

Evaluation of Nuri’s Launch

The 16-minute flight time of the Nuri spacecraft took a long period of time and effor t to achieve. According to Chosun Ilbo, Nuri was initially planned in 2009 and the government invested around two trillion won for its materialization. The vehicle underwent more than 180 tests for its rocket engine, and the cumulative stable combustion duration reached up to 20,000 seconds.

Although the development process has been a series of challenges, Vice President Choi puts emphasis on the 75-ton liquid engine, also called “Nuri’s heart.” He explains that the liquid engine generates 75 tons of strong thrust by burning 255 kilograms of fuel per second and despite being cooled by -183 degree Celsius liquid oxygen, the temperature inside the chamber soon soars to 3,300 degrees Celsius once combustion begins. Therefore, the extreme difference in temperature between -183 degrees Celsius and 3,300 degrees Celsius should stably coexist in a liquid engine with a height of about three meters. In a situation where even a trivial malfunction can lead to an explosion, a high level of precision was required to develop Nuri’s engine with pure domestic technology.

Despite the fact that national space research proved to have reached a colossal level of development through the launch of Nuri, criticism of the vehicle’s failure at its last stage still remains. According to Yonhap News, experts stress that all steps — including the shortfall at the final separation — are considered meaningful and Nuri was technically a success. However, opposing voices rebut the whole performance for being thwarted in achieving its ultimate goal.

The factor that caused the payload of Nuri to fail to settle in orbit was the decreasing pressure of the oxidant tank in the third-stage flight section. The seven-ton liquid engine which was supposed to burn for 521 seconds burned for a shorter time than calculated, a mere 475 seconds, resulting in insufficient speed at the final minute. Currently, KARI estimates that the shortened ignition time can be attributed to either the airtightness of oxidant tanks and pipes or abnormalities in the oxidant tank pressure controlling system. KARI has formed the Nuri Launch Investigation Committee to determine the precise cause of the malfunction, and experts are analyzing 2,400 pieces of remote measurement data downloaded from tracking stations such as Naro Space Center.

Domestic Space Industry 

Launching spacecrafts has always drawn the attention of the public in human history because securing one’s own spacecraft is particularly beneficial for a nation. Primarily, it allows for massive cost savings that would otherwise be paid to the assisting country, as when Korea paid Russia for assistance with Naro. The reduced cost can instead be invested in domestic space research, consequently leading to further advances in technology. Moreover, the nation will be free from international interference when launching a rocket and can secure its own satellite data as well. 

South Korea has taken its step as a second mover in the cosmic adventure, standing alone to construct a spacecraft with its sole scientific advancement. According to Vice President Choi, 3.261 trillion won of investment in the current domestic space industry accounts for only one percent of the global space industry. However, he stated that KARI researchers had gained confidence by confirming their ability to send projectiles into space. He believes that if the secured technology is also transferred to the private sector, the space industry will develop as Korea’s next-generation growth engine following automobiles and semiconductors.

According to The Asia Business Daily, along with Nuri’s success, the government is planning to develop a next-generation advanced rocket starting next year. In particular, the rocket’s engine will be improved to enable multiple ignitions, as reusing a single engine will minimize the launch cost. In addition, the Korean Positioning System (KPS) will reduce dependence on the United States (U.S.) Global Positioning System (GPS) and secure more accurate location information. KARI claims that it will launch medium and ultra-small satellites into space by 2027 and send landers to the moon in 2030.

However, progress must be carried out within a reasonable budget, and it should be noted that excessive budget concentration on the space development industry hincers opportunities for other domestic industries to develop. Rather than being obsessed with the Space Race to exaggerate national power and wasting money on unnecessary expenses, the budget on space development should be restricted to the amount required for essential research.

The launch of Nuri was the result of the collective work of a number of members. Researchers and technicians overcame countless failures to develop an absolutely independent space launch system; the government trusted and supported the team for over 30 years, and the citizens gave limitless encouragement. Vice President Choi claims, “Although Korea only began satellite development in the mid-1990s, which is 40 years later than other developed countries, it is currently evaluated as having the world’s seventh-largest satellite development technology with active investment from the government.” The beginning may be modest, but Korea will make a leap forward in achieving significant space power.