Hanwha Aerospace has embarked on an upgrade project to enlarge the payload fairing of domestically produced space launch vehicles to enable commercial launches. Initially, it was intended to be promoted as part of a research and development project by the Korea Aerospace Administration, but as it fell down the priority list, the company started the upgrade with its own investment. Hanwha is participating as a prime contractor in the Korea-made launch vehicle Nuri's advancement project.
According to the aerospace industry and the Korea Aerospace Administration on the 4th, Hanwha Aerospace recently began the Nuri fairing upgrade project. The fairing is the protective cover located at the front of the launch vehicle, enveloping the satellite. Inside the fairing, there is space to accommodate a satellite; in the case of Nuri, it is approximately 2.7 meters in diameter and 4 meters in length.
Until now, there were no issues with the fairing size when the Nuri launched with small satellites. However, Hanwha Aerospace determined that the current fairing is too small to be used commercially. A company official noted, "The issue of Nuri as a commercial launch vehicle is not the weight of the payload but its volume," adding that "even if there is weight capacity left, the fairing is too small to carry more than one medium-sized satellite."
Nuri has never launched with two medium-sized satellites at once. This is partly due to a lack of domestic satellite launch demand, but there is also a limitation that the current fairing size cannot accommodate two medium-sized satellites at the same time. In the upcoming fourth launch scheduled for November this year, Nuri is expected to carry only one next-generation medium satellite, with the other slots filled with small CubeSats.
Hanwha Aerospace holds the position that performance enhancement of Nuri is essential after the sixth launch scheduled for 2027. As it stands, the vehicle lacks competitiveness as a commercial launch vehicle. The company believes that not only does the fairing size need to be increased, but optimization is necessary, such as eliminating unnecessary weight and components. Hanwha has repeatedly highlighted the need for performance improvements to the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), which developed Nuri, and the Korea Aerospace Administration, the relevant ministry.
The Korea Aerospace Administration also reviewed a plan to promote the Nuri performance enhancement project as a government research and development initiative last year, but it was not reflected in the actual budget proposal. Hanwha Aerospace will first conduct the work to expand the fairing size with its own investment, and subsequently carry out the official performance enhancement project after additional consultations with the Korea Aerospace Administration and KARI. A Hanwha Aerospace official explained, "If we change the design to enlarge the fairing size, we can vertically accommodate two medium-sized satellites," adding, "The decision was made that we cannot delay the fairing upgrade project any longer, which is why we initiated it with our own investment."
The Korea Aerospace Administration also acknowledges the necessity for Nuri's performance enhancement. A task force has already been established internally to review Nuri's performance improvement and additional launch plans. However, they stated that it is difficult for the Korea Aerospace Administration to specifically mention performance enhancement because negotiations over Nuri's technology transfer fees between Hanwha Aerospace and KARI have not concluded and additional launch plans for Nuri have not been established.
A Korea Aerospace Administration official said, "The limitation is that even if Nuri can carry multiple medium-sized satellites, they can only be placed in the same orbit due to the limited satellite demand," and added, "Plans for performance enhancement as well as additional launches of Nuri will be decided based on satellite demand and the results of technology transfer fee negotiations."
Experts point out that the global space industry is changing rapidly, and the Korea Aerospace Administration is being too relaxed. Kim Jeong-su, a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Pukyong National University, stated, "For Nuri to have competitiveness, additional advanced projects for practical performance enhancement are needed," and emphasized, "The strategy document created by the Korea Aerospace Administration for the space transport sector mentions planning for Nuri's 7th to 9th launches in 2027, but if that happens, the launch gap will widen and domestic corporations that manufacture Nuri components will inevitably go under."
Professor Kim added, "Plans should be quickly brought to the surface for discussion following the sixth launch of Nuri," stressing that "additional investment in resources for practical Nuri enhancement projects is needed." A Hanwha Aerospace official also mentioned, "Even without sufficient demand guaranteed, we are investing first with the sense of duty of a prime contractor, but government support is necessary."