An administrative procedure has begun to develop the next-generation launch vehicle, with over 2 trillion won in national funds being invested. Even if the process proceeds quickly, it is expected that changes to the project plan will only be possible by the end of August this year.
According to the Korea Aerospace Administration and the Ministry of Science and ICT on the 27th, the Aerospace Administration recently formally requested a specific assessment for changes to the next-generation launch vehicle development project plan from the Ministry of Science and ICT. A Ministry of Science and ICT official said, "We have received the official document from the Aerospace Administration and are at the stage of selecting committee members to conduct the specific assessment."
The next-generation launch vehicle is the primary launch vehicle responsible for deep space exploration, following the Korean launch vehicle Nuri. More than 2 trillion won is being invested in its development. The original plan was to develop the next-generation launch vehicle as a disposable launch vehicle. However, after the Aerospace Administration was launched, the project plan has been reexamined, and it was decided to change it to a reusable launch vehicle like SpaceX's Falcon rocket. The improvement plan for the next-generation launch vehicle development project was approved at the 3rd National Space Committee meeting held on February 25.
The Aerospace Administration prepared administrative procedures for changing the project plan over a month. Large-scale national projects that pass the preliminary feasibility assessment must undergo a review of project appropriateness by the Ministry of Economy and Finance if there are changes that increase the project cost by more than 15%. In this case, a high-intensity review process equivalent to receiving the preliminary feasibility assessment again must be undergone, which poses a significant burden on the next-generation launch vehicle project that is facing delays due to changes in the project plan.
The Aerospace Administration promoted a plan to change the project plan based solely on the specific assessment of the Ministry of Science and ICT, instead of the appropriateness review by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The specific assessment is a system that allows for quick project plan changes to be reviewed if the increase in project costs is less than 15%. An official from the Aerospace Administration noted, "The increase in project costs due to the plan changes is not significant," adding, "From an engineering perspective, changing the rocket fuel from kerosene to methane does not entail a substantial technical change."
Even though the specific assessment is quicker compared to the appropriateness review by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, it is expected to take at least five months to reach a conclusion. A Ministry of Science and ICT official said, "The specific assessment usually takes about four months," and added that because this period overlaps with the budgeting for next year, work could be somewhat delayed if it becomes congested.
From the perspective of the Aerospace Administration, the worst-case scenario is that the specific assessment process evaluates the increase in project costs to exceed 15%. In this case, the Ministry of Science and ICT could conclude that it must undergo an appropriateness review by the Ministry of Economy and Finance without reaching a decision. The Aerospace Administration believes that the possibility of this occurring is minimal as they have conducted sufficient prior reviews.
If the specific assessment is concluded as planned by the Aerospace Administration, Hanwha Aerospace is expected to continue to take charge of developing the next-generation launch vehicle in partnership with the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). A representative from the Aerospace Administration said, "If the plan change falls within the level feasible for the specific assessment, we believe there is no need to re-tender for the project."