Naro rocket program -- major headache

Troubled space agency threatens to derail Korean rocket project

By Kim Tong-hyung

Nearly a year has passed since Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1 (KSLV-1) exploded moments after take-off and the country’s attempts to join the space-launch industry continues to spin further out of orbit.

Korean officials and their Russian technology providers are stuck in a cyclical blame game over the failure of last June’s failed launch, which represented Korea’s second major space setback in the span of less than a year.

Scientists and engineers at the Naro Space Center are desperate to avoid a third strike. However, the precarious leadership situation at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), the country’s space agency, and cooling enthusiasm from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology aren’t inspiring any confidence.

The science ministry has been struggling to find a new leader for KARI after beleaguered former President Lee Joo-jin stepped down under pressure in February. Since then, the ministry has overhauled its space science team, which is now planning to review the feasibility of space development projects that have been pushed by KARI.

The results of the ministry’s examination could end up being a double-edged sword for the country’s aerospace aspirations and KARI officials fear that their faltering space-launch project will fall under the wrong side of it.

A third KSLV-1 launch has been ruled out for this year and 2012 doesn’t seem a likely option considering the general and presidential elections. There are concerns that the bungled KSLV-1 project could derail the ambitious efforts to develop KSLV-2, which unlike its predecessor, is aimed to be an indigenous rocket. KARI had requested an annual budget of 100.4 billion won ($92 million) for this year to finance the development of KSLV-2, but the science ministry approved only 31.5 billion won.

``An overwhelming fear among KARI officials is that the support for their space development projects will wane from now,’’ said an employee at the aerospace engineering team of Korean Air, which collaborates with KARI on rocket assembly.

``The widespread speculation that the science ministry attempted to shoo in one of its former vice ministers, who is not an engineer by training but an economist, at the head of KARI seems to be a case of adding insult to injury for the agency. You have to think that the current troubles at least will push back the schedule for KSLV-2.’’

The previous two KSLV-1 rockets, built partly in Russia and partly in Korea and designed to deliver satellites into the lower orbit, have cost Korea 500 billion won (about $460 million) in taxpayers' money. The doomed launch last June represented Korea’s second attempt to put a satellite in space, after the first in August 2009 failed.

Russia’s Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center, which provided the core technology for the Korean rocket project, is obligated to provide at least two launches and a possible third should its technology be found responsible for failure in any of the first two attempts.

The Khrunichev center was responsible for designing and assembling KSLV-1’s first stage, which contains the rocket engine and liquid-fuel propulsion system, while KARI managed the building of the rocket’s second-stage, which is designed to hold and eject the satellite.

The Koreans took the blame for the failure of the first launch, when the rocket achieved desired speed and height, but was unable to separate its payload satellite properly. KARI claims that the malfunction of the rocket engine caused KSLV-1 to explode in its second launch, while the Russians maintain that the premature separation of the rocket’s second stage was the problem.

The Korea Research Council of Fundamental Science said it will resume the process of appointing the next KARI president in July after none of the previous three candidates managed to garner a majority of the votes from its panel in the previous process.

The science ministry had backed its former vice minister and current Ajou University Professor Park Jong-koo, who was pitted against former KARI officials Chae Yeon-seok and Lee Dae-seong for the presidency at KARI.

However, Park gave up his candidacy after KARI’s union rallied against him on suspicion that the ministry has been saving the seat for him. ``It would be impossible for a non-expert to establish long-term goals and strategies for technology development,’’ the KARI union had said.