Perigee Aerospace, a domestic space launch vehicle startup, announced on the 20th that it has completed the design review of a 3-ton class liquid methane engine. This review is part of the 'small launch vehicle development capability support project' organized by the Korea AeroSpace Administration.
The project aims to develop the upper engine of small space launch vehicles using domestic technology. Perigee has already passed the first stage and is currently in the second stage process. One of the second stage processes, the Critical Design Review (CDR), is an important procedure that finalizes whether the engine design meets all mission requirements and can lead to actual manufacturing and testing.
The review committee is composed of experts from the Korea AeroSpace Administration, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), and university and industry specialists. They reviewed the design conditions presented by Perigee and confirmed that the Core Data Package (CDP) was successfully developed.
Perigee explained that this evaluation has officially recognized the reliability of the 3-ton class liquid methane engine design. The liquid methane engine, which uses liquid methane and liquid oxygen as fuel, has advantages such as higher output than conventional liquid fuel engines and less residue during combustion, making it reusable. Perigee plans to accelerate the development of the small launch vehicle 'Blue Whale 1 (BW1)' that will be equipped with nine of these engines.
Lee Eun-kwang, vice president of Perigee, said, "This achievement is the result of the collaborative efforts of the Korea AeroSpace Administration, related government departments, and Perigee employees who have actively supported and guided private enterprises. We will continue to make innovative challenges for the development of Korea's space ecosystem as a private company preparing for the New Space era."