Development of a reusable space launch vehicle engine aimed at building a "Korean-style Falcon 9" has begun in earnest. The Falcon 9 is a reusable space launch vehicle developed by U.S. company SpaceX. Hyundai Rotem, which has experience developing methane engines, beat Hanwha Aerospace (Hanwha Aero), which handled system integration for the Korean launch vehicle Nuri, to win the project to develop launch vehicle engine technology. With both Hyundai Rotem and Hanwha Aerospace eyeing the space industry as a future growth engine, competition to win actual engine manufacturing contracts is expected to intensify.
According to the industry on the 22nd, the goal of the technology development project recently awarded by the Korea Research Institute for defense Technology planning and advancement (KRIT) to the Hyundai Rotem–Korean Air consortium is to independently secure methane engine technology capable of reaching an altitude of 500 kilometers and reusable technology. Hyundai Rotem is said to oversee overall development, while Korean Air will handle the engine booster segment. The project, valued at 49.1 billion won and running through 2030, is set to proceed in earnest after a signing ceremony between Hyundai Rotem and KRIT in Nov.
Hanwha Aerospace and Hyundai Rotem have taken part in developing Korean launch vehicles since technological independence began with Naro. In 1993, during the era of the former Hyundai Precision (now Hyundai Mobis), Hyundai Rotem developed a solid-fuel scientific rocket, and in 2000 it developed a rocket engine powered by methane. In 2023, it built propulsion system test facilities for the Nuri launch. These facilities test propulsion system performance and combustion performance throughout all phases of a launch.
Hanwha Aerospace handled system integration for the launch vehicle engine during the 2021 Nuri launch, which successfully flew to an altitude of 700 kilometers. It also took on system integration for the third launch in 2023, leading the success of Nuri's third flight together with the Korea Aerospace Research Institute. In Jul., it received a transfer of technologies including Nuri's design and manufacturing.
Both Hyundai Rotem and Hanwha Aerospace entered this bidding round touting their track records. Industry observers say Hyundai Rotem, with its history of methane engine development, received higher marks. Hanwha Aerospace did not file a separate objection, and some analyze that it is placing more weight on system integration for building an actual reusable launch vehicle later.
The industry expects competition around the space sector to grow more intense. Although Hanwha Aerospace came up short in this bidding, it plans to further build launch vehicle capabilities by handling Nuri launches through the sixth launch in 2027, including the fourth launch scheduled for Nov. In Mar., it was also selected as the system integration company for a next-generation launch vehicle with improved performance over Nuri. This launch vehicle aims for a Moon landing in 2032. Hyundai Rotem also entered the space industry starting with its participation in Nuri development in 2023.
A defense industry official said, "It has long been the case that leadership of space development has shifted to the private sector, and corporations have built up technology across various segments of the space industry," adding, "As the defense industry grows and companies compete to encroach on each other's domains, competition in the space industry will also become increasingly fierce."