Private sector's role increased in 5th Nuri launch

Private companies played a significantly greater role in the successful fifth launch of Korea’s Nuri rocket on Wednesday, signaling that the country’s efforts to keep pace with the global shift toward a private sector-led “New Space” era are gaining momentum.

The Nuri rocket completed its fifth launch and 20-minute-long flight successfully after lifting off at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City, at 12:25 p.m.

The most notable change in the latest launch was not the rocket itself, but the growing presence of private-sector personnel at the launch site. Hanwha Aerospace has overseen the manufacturing of the Nuri rocket as its system integrator since the fourth launch on Nov. 27 last year, but this time, its role expanded to the consoles at the launch control center.

Hanwha Aerospace deployed 42 staffers for the fifth launch. They participated in operations at 20 of the 22 consoles responsible for launch vehicle systems, and at 18 of them, Hanwha employees directly operated the controls instead of specialists from the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI).

This marked a significant increase from the fourth launch, when 32 Hanwha Aerospace employees were present at the launch site but were largely limited to observing and supporting KARI personnel.

In the space rocket industry, hands-on launch experience is considered as important as designing and manufacturing space vehicles. Experiences in processes such as launch preparations, propellant loading, system checks and responses to unexpected situations become an important technological asset for private companies, marking a major step in transferring operational expertise from the government to the private sector.

KARI still retains overall responsibility and command of the fifth launch in a supervisory role, but Hanwha Aerospace’s role will expand further from the sixth launch, scheduled for 2027.

Until now, the stages of the Nuri rocket have been assembled at the Naro Space Center. Starting with the sixth launch, Hanwha Aerospace plans to assemble each stage at its own assembly facility before transporting them to the space center, where the company will conduct final assembly of the rocket. KARI’s involvement in launch operations will also be reduced, with Hanwha taking a leading role in executing the launch sequence.

The transfer will continue through the seventh launch, with KARI’s involvement reduced further. By the eighth launch, Hanwha Aerospace, as the system integrator, is expected to take full responsibility for the entire launch process, from preparations and countdown procedures to the final execution of the launch.

Along with Hanwha Aerospace, a number of major Korean companies participated in the fifth launch.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries built the mechanical, propellant supply and control systems for the second launchpad at the Naro Space Center, which has been used for all Nuri launches, and was responsible for overall operation of the launchpad systems during the latest mission. Hyundai Rotem designed and built testing facilities for the rocket’s propulsion system.

The launch also serves as a test bed for technologies from other industries. SK hynix will test its DRAM and universal flash storage memory products to assess their resistance to space radiation and high-energy particles, while LG Group will test commercial components developed by its affiliates in the space environment.

Industry officials and experts said expanding the private sector’s role will require more frequent launches and improved cost efficiency.

Unmanned Exploration Laboratory CEO Lee Jae-ho, whose company developed the UEL-Y-Sys CubeSat carried on the fifth launch, said the “mission brought the company one step closer to its goal of lunar exploration,” and that he hopes “the Nuri can be launched more frequently.”

Kang Sung-joo, a former senior research fellow at the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, said that shortening the production times and maintaining consistent quality are important factors for the Nuri to be used continuously.

“The number of launches is still limited. We need to launch more frequently and continue accumulating experience in maintaining consistent quality and a stable success rate through that process,” he said.