The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) is set to complete the preliminary design of the next-generation rocket engine, which will succeed the Korean launch vehicle Nuri, by November. This will accelerate development for the first performance verification launch scheduled for 2031.
On September 29, KARI announced that it is currently working on a reusable next-generation rocket engine. Han Young-min, head of KARI's Space Launch Vehicle Research Institute, stated during an online briefing regarding the fifth launch of Nuri, "We are preparing to finalize the preliminary design in November to meet the 2031 launch schedule."
A total of 2.2921 trillion won (approximately $1.9 billion) will be invested in the development of the next-generation rocket by 2032. KARI plans to conduct the first performance verification launch in 2031, followed by a lunar landing verification mission in the first half of 2032. The goal is to launch a lunar lander by the end of that year.
The next-generation rocket will be a two-stage vehicle measuring 70 meters in length and 4.2 meters in diameter, making it 23 meters longer than the 47-meter Nuri. Its low Earth orbit payload capacity will increase from 3.3 tons with Nuri to over 10 tons, while its sun-synchronous orbit capacity will rise from 2.2 tons to 7 tons.
Han explained, "The performance of a launch vehicle is evaluated by how many satellites it can send into space. The next-generation rocket is being designed to carry satellites that are 3 to 5 times heavier than those launched by Nuri." He added, "To lift heavier satellites, we need to carry more propellant, which will necessitate larger tanks and an overall increase in the size of the rocket."
The engine configuration will be similar to SpaceX's reusable Falcon 9, featuring nine methane-oxygen gas generator cycle engines in the first stage and one engine in the second stage. The thrust and propellant mixture ratio can be adjusted, and an electric thrust vector control system using batteries will be implemented.
A key aspect of the next-generation rocket is its first-stage reusability. KARI is also developing landing legs, grid fins, and thrust vector control devices to enable recovery after launch.
Han noted, "We are preparing a reusable verification demonstrator ahead of the next-generation rocket's development." The demonstrator will be 14 meters long and weigh 6 tons, equipped with a 10-ton engine developed for the upper stage of the next-generation rocket. The flight test will involve ascending approximately 500 meters from the Naro Space Center and then controlling the engine thrust to land at a nearby designated area. Han stated, "We will verify flight control and landing technology by continuously controlling thrust from ascent to landing without separate engine re-ignition."
In parallel with the development of the next-generation rocket, the Nuri rocket will continue its series of launches. The fifth Nuri rocket is scheduled for launch on October 7 and is currently undergoing final preparations, including the assembly of its first, second, and third stages and checks of electrical and mechanical systems. It will deploy a total of 15 satellites, including five small cluster satellites and ten CubeSats, into a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 570 kilometers. The cluster satellites are expected to separate at intervals of 35 to 40 seconds, and after approximately eight orbits around the Earth, the distance between the satellites is anticipated to exceed 80 kilometers.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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