한국항공우주연구원

Korea Secured Core Technology of Space Launch Vehicle

Korea Aero Space Research Institute (KARI), led by Paik Hong-yul, has announced that the upper stage of the KSLV-I has been completed. KSLV-1 is scheduled for launch from the Naro Space Center located in Goheung, southwestern Korea, in December 2008. Starting from April 3, the final comprehensive operation tests will be taking place.

The aim of the final comprehensive operation tests is to check overall operation and function along every step of the flight sequence after the launch, as well as PLO by emulating real launch conditions. The flight sequence of the upper stage of KSLV-I, a set of major flight events, is as follows: faring separation, ignition of the second stage kick motor, attitude control, satellite separation, and flight completion.

Specifically, this test will check whether the rocket shroud of STSAT-2 (Science and Technology Satellite-2) works at the 166 km altitude and if the second stage kick motor is ignited at the 300 km altitude in order to put the STSAT-2 into its assigned orbit.

The upper stage of KSLV-I is made up of core parts completely developed in Korea, including the second stage kick motor, the Inertial Navigation System (INS), the power system, the control system, the flight safety system and the nose fairing. Designing, manufacturing, test/evaluation and assembly of these core components of the upper stage have been carried out domestically. In doing so, Korea has secured core technologies required for the Space Launch Vehicle, which will be directly utilized to develop a Korean Space Launch Vehicle.

KARI is well on track to develop KSLV-I with the aim of launching it in December 2008. The schedule is to move the domestically-developed upper stage to the Naro Space Center in September, and bring in the first stage model, currently under development in Russia, in October.