Private firms take on bigger roles in Nuri-ho production and operations

Hanwha Aerospace expands from manufacturing lead to launch operations

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries secures full launch pad system expertise

LG affiliates debut joint space demonstration via cubesat components

The Nuri-ho rocket lifts off from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, at 12:25 p.m. Wednesday. [Korea Aerospace Research Institute]
The Nuri-ho rocket lifts off from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, at 12:25 p.m. Wednesday. [Korea Aerospace Research Institute]

South Korea's homegrown Nuri-ho rocket successfully completed its fifth launch Wednesday, with domestic private companies playing a larger and more prominent role than ever before. The milestone signals that the country's space industry is accelerating its shift toward private-sector leadership, as firms move beyond supporting roles to take direct charge of launch vehicle production and operations.

Hanwha Aerospace oversaw the manufacture of the fifth Nuri-ho vehicle and expanded its involvement in launch operations. For the first through third launches, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute led production and final assembly, but Hanwha Aerospace has taken over those responsibilities starting with the fourth launch.

About 300 domestic companies participated in building the fifth vehicle, with Hanwha Aerospace serving as general contractor and overseeing quality control among subcontractors. During launch operations, 23 Hanwha personnel were assigned to 20 of the 22 consoles at the Launch Control Center, with 18 of them directly operating consoles. Including staff at the mission control center, the launch pad and vehicle transport safety positions, a total of 42 Hanwha employees took part in launch operations.

Hanwha Aerospace's role will expand further from the sixth launch onward. The company plans to build a launch vehicle production facility spanning 60,000 square meters in Suncheon, South Jeolla Province, where it will assemble each stage at its own factory before transporting them to the Naro Space Center for final integration. It also plans to operate most of the launch control center consoles directly.

The Nuri-ho rocket lifts off from Launch Pad 2 at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, at 12:25 p.m. Wednesday. [Korea Aerospace Research Institute]
The Nuri-ho rocket lifts off from Launch Pad 2 at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, at 12:25 p.m. Wednesday. [Korea Aerospace Research Institute]

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries also contributed private-sector expertise by supporting launch pad system operations. The company assisted with pre-launch inspections and testing, and repaired key infrastructure — including the launch pad and vehicle hold-down device — that had been exposed to flames and extreme heat during the fourth launch. It also inspected sensors and control and measurement equipment.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries designed, built and commissioned the dedicated Nuri-ho launch pad system and has been involved in launch operations throughout the program. The company raised the domestic content rate of its launch pad system process technology to 100 percent, and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute recently selected it as the preferred negotiating partner for a detailed design contract on the next-generation launch pad system. "We will contribute to the advancement of South Korea's space industry, drawing on the experience accumulated through the Naro-ho and Nuri-ho programs and our detailed design capabilities for the next-generation launch pad," a company official said.

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) carried out the final assembly of the Nuri-ho vehicle under a contract from Hanwha Aerospace. It manufactured the first-stage propulsion unit — comprising the fuel tank and oxidizer tank — and performed the clustering assembly that joins four engines into a single unit. Hyundai Rotem participated in building a propulsion system test facility used to verify engine performance.

The satellites aboard Nuri-ho also carried technology from private companies. LG Group, together with space startup Unmanned Exploration Laboratory, a rover development firm, loaded five components from LG affiliates onto a cubesat. LG Innotek supplied the camera module, LG Energy Solution provided the battery pack, and LG Electronics supplied the power module, attitude control actuator and satellite communications antenna. The components will undergo sequential operational tests in space over approximately 60 days. It marks the first time LG affiliates have conducted a joint space demonstration.


keg@heraldcorp.com