[스페셜타임스 정시환 기자] Hello, this is the video news team of Special Times, an internet media company.
This news is news related to fostering a private small launch vehicle company that will create a ‘Korean-style Space X’ by the government.
The government is starting a new business to foster ‘Korean-style Space X’.
The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on the 16th that it would start the ‘small projectile development capability support project’ to foster the private-led small projectile industry.
With the revitalization of economic space development led by private companies, the satellite development method that operates small satellites in clusters is revitalizing all over the world.
Accordingly, the demand for small projectiles that are suitable for small satellites and have greater strength than medium and large projectiles in terms of economy and timeliness is continuously increasing.
Although the demand for launching small satellites is increasing in Korea as well, due to the absence of small launch vehicles, the launch schedule of our satellites is being determined according to the launch schedules of overseas mid-sized satellites.
Accordingly, the Ministry of Science and ICT planned this project to foster small launch vehicle companies with economical efficiency, just as the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration fostered Space X as an innovative space company.
Through this project, which will invest a total of KRW 27.85 billion for six years until 2027, we plan to develop an engine for the top of the small launch vehicle and expand it to a two-stage launcher with the 75-ton engine of the Nuri as the first stage.
The target of the support is the space industry wishing to develop a small launch vehicle with Korean nationality, and an industry-university-research association can be formed to support it.
Three companies are selected to design and manufacture the upper (two-stage) engine of the small launch vehicle, and through two stage evaluations, one final company is selected and the performance test of the designed and manufactured engine is carried out.
This project is carried out with a focus on carrying out the project from planning to design of the upper engine, led by a private company.
The type of propellant (fuel) and engine structure are all supervised and selected by the participating companies, and if necessary, the design of the first stage (Nuriho 75-ton engine) can be partially improved, or the engine technology developed and owned by the participating company can be used in the first stage. .
At each stage, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute provides technical advice to participating companies, and at the end of each stage, the National Research Foundation selects a company to support the development of the next stage through stage evaluation.
The public offering period for this project is from the 23rd to the 15th of the following month, and the business plan will be evaluated in April to select 3 companies and start full-scale research.
After the announcement, we plan to hold a business briefing session for applicants to inform them of detailed business plans.
Detailed information regarding this project contest and business briefing session can be found on the website of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, and the website of the National Research Foundation of Korea.
Kwon Hyun-joon, director of large public research policy at the Ministry of Science and ICT, said, ‘In order to respond to the global paradigm of the private space market changing around small launch vehicles and to smoothly carry out the launch of 170 public satellites by 2030, it is essential to develop an economical small launch vehicle.’ .
He continued, “Through this small launch vehicle development capability support project, we will spare no effort to enhance the space development capabilities of industries and provide the necessary support for domestic space launch vehicle companies to grow into innovative companies such as Space X.”
It was the video news team of the Special Times.
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