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20 years of aerospace R&D culminates in KSLV-1 launch
By Lee Joon-seung
NARO SPACE CENTER, South Korea, Aug. 19 (Yonhap) -- The imminent launch of South Korea's first full-fledged rocket into space is the culmination of 20 years of research and development that started with small, rudimentary solid-fuel machines, the state-run aerospace institute said Wednesday.
The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), which is in charge of the Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1 (KSLV-1), said Seoul's first attempt to build space vehicles started with sounding rocket programs 20 years ago.
The main objective for the five experimental rockets launched in the three programs was to provide an opportunity for scientists to advance research in earth science and astrophysics. Rockets were designed to improve local rocket development technologies covering payload, flight and ground control systems, navigation, overall operational know-how and system integration of all related subsystems.
Work on the first Korea Sounding Rocket-1 (KSR-1) began in 1990, with the actual launch of two KSR-1 rockets taking place in 1993.
The rocket was designed to observe the ozone layer in the Earth's atmosphere and cost 2.85 billion won (US$2.30 million) to build. It stood 6.7m tall with a diameter of just 42cm and was powered by a single-stage solid fuel rocket, with developers calling the two test launches successes.
The first KSR-1 blasted off June 4, 1993 and reached an altitude of 39km. The data gathered allowed engineers to upgrade the rocket, so the second rocket reached an altitude of 49km in September that year.
After the success of the two KSR-1 rockets, Seoul started work in November 1993 on the KSR-2, with 5.2 billion won being used to make the rocket that was 11.1m long, 42cm wide and weighed 2t.
It was a two-stage, solid-fueled rocket that could reach a higher altitude.
The first KSR-2 launch was conducted in July 1997, with the rocket flying 378 seconds and landing 127.7km away. Engineers lost contact with the rocket 20.8 seconds after blast-off, however, so no data was collected on the ozone and ion layers over the Korean Peninsula.
The second KSR-2 rocket, which was able to collect atmospheric data, was launched in June 1998 and reached an altitude of 137.2km before falling into the Yellow Sea between South Korea and China, 123.9km from the launch pad.
The two rocket programs were followed by the more ambitious KSR-3 that used liquid fuel and oxidation agents as propellant.
A liquid fuel rocket is a prerequisite to carrying a commercial payload into space because it has more thrust than solid fuel rockets.
Work on the KSR-3 began in December 1997, with 78 billion won being used to develop the 13t thrust rocket.
The test launch took place in November 2002, with the machine reaching an altitude of 42.7km and flying a total of 231 seconds before falling 79.5km from the launch site.
Technicians said that they were able to develop the inertial navigation system needed to guide the rocket on a correct trajectory, and devised a way for the rocket engine nozzles to control flight. South Korea produced special tanks to store liquid fuel and oxidation agents thanks to the KSR-3.
"In effect, all the technologies learned through these efforts have been used in building the KSLV-1 rocket," said a KARI official.
He stressed that such efforts have helped reduce the huge technological gap that existed between South Korea and leading nations in the space development field that started developing rockets and satellites in the 1950s.
KARI, which leads the country's aerospace program, claimed that in the field of rockets, South Korea's technology levels reach 70-75 percent of the capacity of leading countries like the United States and Russia.
It said levels are up to 85 percent in building rocket structures and electronics systems, with some specific areas reaching cutting-edge levels, mainly because of South Korea's prowess in the information technology sector.
In the key liquid engine sector, the country stands at 60-70 percent of top technology holders, while in the sector of high-output and compact thruster fuel, the country stands at 85 percent of the capacity of leaders. The country's ability to make ignitors for the rocket also reached the 80 percent levels.
The research institute said that once the KSLV-1 program successfully places small-sized scientific satellites into orbit, Seoul will move to domestically build a more powerful rocket engine that can place a commercially viable payload into orbit around 2018.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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