Korea Space Launch Vehicle
Encyclopedia
The Naro-1, previously designated Korea Space Launch Vehicle or KSLV, is South Korea
's first carrier rocket, which made its maiden flight on 25 August 2009. It is built by KARI
, the national space agency of South Korea, and Korean Air
, with the first stage provided by Khrunichev
(Russia). It was twice launched from the country's new spaceport, the Naro Space Center, but both launches ended in failure. The official name of the first KSLV rocket, KSLV-I, is Naro, which is the name of the region in which Naro Space Center is located.
The KSLV-I launch vehicle
is based on the Universal Rocket Module, the first stage of the Russian Angara rocket
, combined with a solid-fueled second stage built by South Korea.
developed and launched several satellite systems and rockets overseas, such as the solid-fueled KSR-1
and KSR-2
sounding rocket
s. In 2000, South Korea began construction of the Naro Space Center, located on Naro Island in Goheung, 485 kilometres (301.4 mi) south of Seoul
, with Russia
n assistance. The work was completed by the launch of the 6000 kilograms (13,227.7 lb) KSR-3
liquid-propellant sounding rocket on 28 November 2002. South Korea announced in 2002 that it intended to develop a small satellite launch vehicle by 2005 that would be based on technology flown on the KSR-3 test vehicle. The launcher would be entirely indigenous, based on the 122.5 kilonewtons (122,500 N) thrust LOX
/kerosene
motor used for the KSR-3 rocket stage. In 2005 a change was announced, indicating that they would use the Russian RD-191
as the vehicle's first stage. The program, like that of the Angara, was subject to continuous funding shortages and schedule delays.
On 26 October 2004, during the visit of a Khrunichev
State Company delegation headed by A. A. Medvedev, Director General to South Korea
, a contract was signed to design and build a Space Rocket Complex for the small-lift launch vehicle KSLV-1. The design represented a joint effort between Khrunichev State Enterprise, who would build the first stage of KSLV-1, and South Korea, who would design and produce the second stage. As the prerequisite to signing the contract South Korea joined the Missile Technology Control Regime
(MTCR). All documentation was reviewed by the Russian Space Agency (RSA), and the joint project to build the Korean rocket complex was approved. The vehicle was unveiled at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province in October 2008. South Korea has spent some KR₩
500 billion (US$
490 million) since 2002 on the project.
that discouraged independent research and development of rocket technology by South Korea, KARI
decided that the KSLV would be built on the basis of the universal rocket module (URM) designed for the Russian Angara family of rockets. The first stage of the vehicle uses the Russian RD-151 engine, which is essentially the RD-191
de-powered to 170 tonnes-force (1.7 MN; 370,000 lbf) from 190 tonnes. The second stage is based on the KSR-1
solid-propellant sounding rocket developed and built by KARI. The launch vehicle weighs 140 tonnes (308,647.2 lb), stands 33 metres (108.3 ft) tall and has a diameter of almost 3 metre.
satellite into orbit. The launch, tentatively scheduled for 11 August, received approval from the National Space Committee after experts reviewed all aspects of the flight plan established by the state-run Korea Aerospace Research Institute
.
South Korea notified the International Maritime Organization
and the International Civil Aviation Organization
of the launch in order to give notice to ships and planes operating in the region on the launch date of the potential hazard.
The first attempt to launch Naro-1 was conducted on 19 August 2009, but the launch was canceled seven minutes 56 seconds before launch. The second attempt on succeeded in taking off from the Naro Space Center. The Khrunichev-built first stage reportedly performed nominally, and the second stage separation took place as expected, but the payload fairing
separation system malfunctioned and half of the satellite protective cover stayed bolted to the second stage. The added weight of the remaining fairing caused the rocket to tumble upwards and to be thrown off its nominal course, soaring 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) above the planned altitude before falling down. The payload (STSAT-2) has reentered the atmosphere and disintegrated.
Thirteen engineering experts from South Korea and thirteen from Russia formed a Failure Review Board and met in August 2010 to discuss the launch. They were able to officially conclude that the launch had failed. Further investigation was ongoing as to the cause of the failure. As of 11 November 2010, a definitive cause for the failure had not been determined. According to the Director-General of Khrunichev
, Vladimir Nesterov
, the telemetry data received by his company does not point to any off-nominal performance of the Khrunichev-built first stage. A new team consisting of 30 experts was formed to investigate the cause of the failure. According to findings of a Russian independent commission made public in August 2011, an error had occurred in the rocket's second stage produced by South Korea.
, who had for many decades hindered South Korea's indigenous rocket and missile development programs in fear of their possible connection to clandestine military ballistic missile programs. South Korea has sought the assistance of foreign countries such as Russia
through MTCR commitments to supplement its restricted domestic rocket technology.
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
's first carrier rocket, which made its maiden flight on 25 August 2009. It is built by KARI
Korea Aerospace Research Institute
The Korea Aerospace Research Institute is the aeronautics and space agency of South Korea. Its main laboratories are located in Daejeon, in the Daedeok Science Town. Current projects include the KSLV launcher. Past projects include the 1999 Arirang-1 satellite. The agency was founded in 1989...
, the national space agency of South Korea, and Korean Air
Korean Air
Korean Air Lines Co., Ltd. , operating as Korean Air, is both the flag carrier and the largest airline of South Korea, with global headquarters located in Seoul, South Korea. Korean Air's international passenger division and related subsidiary cargo division together serve 130 cities in 45...
, with the first stage provided by Khrunichev
Khrunichev
Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center is a Moscow-based producer of spacecraft and space-launch systems, including the Proton and Rokot rockets. The company's history dates back to 1916, when an automobile factory was established outside Moscow...
(Russia). It was twice launched from the country's new spaceport, the Naro Space Center, but both launches ended in failure. The official name of the first KSLV rocket, KSLV-I, is Naro, which is the name of the region in which Naro Space Center is located.
The KSLV-I launch vehicle
Launch vehicle
In spaceflight, a launch vehicle or carrier rocket is a rocket used to carry a payload from the Earth's surface into outer space. A launch system includes the launch vehicle, the launch pad and other infrastructure....
is based on the Universal Rocket Module, the first stage of the Russian Angara rocket
Angara rocket
The Angara rocket family is a family of space-launch vehicles currently under development by the Moscow-based Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center...
, combined with a solid-fueled second stage built by South Korea.
History
In 1992, South KoreaSouth Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
developed and launched several satellite systems and rockets overseas, such as the solid-fueled KSR-1
KARI KSR-1
KARI KSR-Iis South Korean sounding rocket designed by KARI.- Spec :* Payload: 150 kg* Apogee: 75 km* Thrust: 86 kN* Weight: 1200 kg* Diameter: 0,42 m* Length: 6,7 m...
and KSR-2
KARI KSR-2
KARI KSR-2 is a South Korean sounding rocket designed by KARI.- Spec :* Payload: 150 kg* Apogee: 160 km* Thrust: 86 kN* Weight: 2000 kg* Diameter: 0,42 m* Length: 11,04 m- External links :*...
sounding rocket
Sounding rocket
A sounding rocket, sometimes called a research rocket, is an instrument-carrying rocket designed to take measurements and perform scientific experiments during its sub-orbital flight. The origin of the term comes from nautical vocabulary, where to sound is to throw a weighted line from a ship into...
s. In 2000, South Korea began construction of the Naro Space Center, located on Naro Island in Goheung, 485 kilometres (301.4 mi) south of Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, with Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n assistance. The work was completed by the launch of the 6000 kilograms (13,227.7 lb) KSR-3
KARI KSR-3
KARI KSR-3is South Korean sounding rocket designed by KARI.- Spec :* Payload: 150 kg* Apogee: 42.7 km* Range: 79 km* Thrust: 13 t* Weight: 6.1 t* Dimeter: 0,42 m* Length: 13.5 m* Burn time: 53 sec* Launch: 2002...
liquid-propellant sounding rocket on 28 November 2002. South Korea announced in 2002 that it intended to develop a small satellite launch vehicle by 2005 that would be based on technology flown on the KSR-3 test vehicle. The launcher would be entirely indigenous, based on the 122.5 kilonewtons (122,500 N) thrust LOX
Lox
Lox is salmon fillet that has been cured. In its most popular form, it is thinly sliced—less than in thickness—and, typically, served on a bagel, often with cream cheese, onion, tomato, cucumber and capers...
/kerosene
Kerosene
Kerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage, also known as paraffin or paraffin oil in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Ireland and South Africa, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros...
motor used for the KSR-3 rocket stage. In 2005 a change was announced, indicating that they would use the Russian RD-191
RD-191
The RD-191 is a high performance single-combustion chamber rocket engine, developed in Russia. It is derived from the RD-170 originally used in the Energia launcher....
as the vehicle's first stage. The program, like that of the Angara, was subject to continuous funding shortages and schedule delays.
On 26 October 2004, during the visit of a Khrunichev
Khrunichev
Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center is a Moscow-based producer of spacecraft and space-launch systems, including the Proton and Rokot rockets. The company's history dates back to 1916, when an automobile factory was established outside Moscow...
State Company delegation headed by A. A. Medvedev, Director General to South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, a contract was signed to design and build a Space Rocket Complex for the small-lift launch vehicle KSLV-1. The design represented a joint effort between Khrunichev State Enterprise, who would build the first stage of KSLV-1, and South Korea, who would design and produce the second stage. As the prerequisite to signing the contract South Korea joined the Missile Technology Control Regime
Missile Technology Control Regime
The Missile Technology Control Regime is an informal and voluntary partnership between 34 countries to prevent the proliferation of missile and unmanned aerial vehicle technology capable of carrying a 500 kg payload at least 300 km....
(MTCR). All documentation was reviewed by the Russian Space Agency (RSA), and the joint project to build the Korean rocket complex was approved. The vehicle was unveiled at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province in October 2008. South Korea has spent some KR₩
South Korean won
The won is the currency of South Korea. A single won is divided into 100 jeon, the monetary subunit. The jeon is no longer used for everyday transactions, and appears only in foreign exchange rates...
500 billion (US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
490 million) since 2002 on the project.
Vehicle description
The whole rocket was originally planned to be completely indigenous, but due to technological constraints largely spurred by political pressure from the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
that discouraged independent research and development of rocket technology by South Korea, KARI
Kari
Kari or KARI may refer to:* Kari or curry, a pan-Asian variety of spicy food* Kari or Sundaram Karivardhan, a legendary figure of Indian motorsports*Kari , a natural satellite of Saturn*Kari , a technique in shakuhachi music...
decided that the KSLV would be built on the basis of the universal rocket module (URM) designed for the Russian Angara family of rockets. The first stage of the vehicle uses the Russian RD-151 engine, which is essentially the RD-191
RD-191
The RD-191 is a high performance single-combustion chamber rocket engine, developed in Russia. It is derived from the RD-170 originally used in the Energia launcher....
de-powered to 170 tonnes-force (1.7 MN; 370,000 lbf) from 190 tonnes. The second stage is based on the KSR-1
KARI KSR-1
KARI KSR-Iis South Korean sounding rocket designed by KARI.- Spec :* Payload: 150 kg* Apogee: 75 km* Thrust: 86 kN* Weight: 1200 kg* Diameter: 0,42 m* Length: 6,7 m...
solid-propellant sounding rocket developed and built by KARI. The launch vehicle weighs 140 tonnes (308,647.2 lb), stands 33 metres (108.3 ft) tall and has a diameter of almost 3 metre.
Launch history
| Flight # | Variant | Date of Launch | Launch Location | Payload | Outcome | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Naro-1 | 2009-08-25 08:00 UTC (17:00 KST Korea Standard Time Korea Standard Time is the standard time zone in North and South Korea and is 9 hours ahead of UTC : i.e., when it is midnight UTC, it is 9 am Korea Standard Time. Korea does not currently observe daylight saving time but has experimented with it in the past... ) |
Naro Space Center |  STSAT-2ASTSAT-2A STSAT-2A was a satellite launched by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute , the national space agency of South Korea, from the Naro Space Center in Goheung County, South Jeolla using the Naro-1 rocket.The satellite carried a Lyman- alpha Imaging Solar Telescope as well as Satellite laser... |
Failure | Fairing did not separate, failed to reach orbit |
| 2 | Naro-1 | 2010-06-10, 08:01 UTC (17:01 KST Korea Standard Time Korea Standard Time is the standard time zone in North and South Korea and is 9 hours ahead of UTC : i.e., when it is midnight UTC, it is 9 am Korea Standard Time. Korea does not currently observe daylight saving time but has experimented with it in the past... ) |
Naro Space Center | STSAT-2B STSAT-2B STSAT-2B, or Science and Technology Satellite 2B, was a South Korean satellite which was lost in the failure of the second flight of the Naro-1 carrier rocket. It was to have been operated by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, and was intended to demonstrate technology for future spacecraft... |
Failure | Signal lost 137 seconds after launch, the rocket may have exploded |
First flight
The South Korean government officially approved the launch of the KSLV in June 2009, which was expected to send the STSAT-2ASTSAT-2A
STSAT-2A was a satellite launched by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute , the national space agency of South Korea, from the Naro Space Center in Goheung County, South Jeolla using the Naro-1 rocket.The satellite carried a Lyman- alpha Imaging Solar Telescope as well as Satellite laser...
satellite into orbit. The launch, tentatively scheduled for 11 August, received approval from the National Space Committee after experts reviewed all aspects of the flight plan established by the state-run Korea Aerospace Research Institute
Korea Aerospace Research Institute
The Korea Aerospace Research Institute is the aeronautics and space agency of South Korea. Its main laboratories are located in Daejeon, in the Daedeok Science Town. Current projects include the KSLV launcher. Past projects include the 1999 Arirang-1 satellite. The agency was founded in 1989...
.
South Korea notified the International Maritime Organization
International Maritime Organization
The International Maritime Organization , formerly known as the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization , was established in Geneva in 1948, and came into force ten years later, meeting for the first time in 1959...
and the International Civil Aviation Organization
International Civil Aviation Organization
The International Civil Aviation Organization , pronounced , , is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth...
of the launch in order to give notice to ships and planes operating in the region on the launch date of the potential hazard.
The first attempt to launch Naro-1 was conducted on 19 August 2009, but the launch was canceled seven minutes 56 seconds before launch. The second attempt on succeeded in taking off from the Naro Space Center. The Khrunichev-built first stage reportedly performed nominally, and the second stage separation took place as expected, but the payload fairing
Payload fairing
Payload fairing is one of the main components of a launch vehicle. The fairing protects the payload during the ascent against the impact of the atmosphere . More recently, an additional function is to maintain the cleanroom environment for precision instruments.Outside the atmosphere the fairing is...
separation system malfunctioned and half of the satellite protective cover stayed bolted to the second stage. The added weight of the remaining fairing caused the rocket to tumble upwards and to be thrown off its nominal course, soaring 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) above the planned altitude before falling down. The payload (STSAT-2) has reentered the atmosphere and disintegrated.
Second flight
A second launch was scheduled for 9 June 2010, but the launch was scrubbed due to a malfunction of a fire protection system. After the problem was resolved, the launch was rescheduled for 10 June, and the rocket launched at 08:01 UTC. The launch ended in failure 137 seconds (2 minutes 17 seconds) later, when contact with the rocket was lost. Ahn Byung-man, Minister of Science and Technology, told reporters that the rocket was believed to have exploded in midair.Thirteen engineering experts from South Korea and thirteen from Russia formed a Failure Review Board and met in August 2010 to discuss the launch. They were able to officially conclude that the launch had failed. Further investigation was ongoing as to the cause of the failure. As of 11 November 2010, a definitive cause for the failure had not been determined. According to the Director-General of Khrunichev
Khrunichev
Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center is a Moscow-based producer of spacecraft and space-launch systems, including the Proton and Rokot rockets. The company's history dates back to 1916, when an automobile factory was established outside Moscow...
, Vladimir Nesterov
Vladimir Nesterov
Vladimir Nesterov Cherepovets) is the general director of Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center, one the world's leading space launch providers....
, the telemetry data received by his company does not point to any off-nominal performance of the Khrunichev-built first stage. A new team consisting of 30 experts was formed to investigate the cause of the failure. According to findings of a Russian independent commission made public in August 2011, an error had occurred in the rocket's second stage produced by South Korea.
Impediments to South Korean rocket development
South Korea's efforts to build an indigenous space launch vehicle is marred due to persistent political pressure of the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, who had for many decades hindered South Korea's indigenous rocket and missile development programs in fear of their possible connection to clandestine military ballistic missile programs. South Korea has sought the assistance of foreign countries such as Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
through MTCR commitments to supplement its restricted domestic rocket technology.
See also
- 2010 in spaceflight2010 in spaceflightThe year 2010 saw a number of notable events in spaceflight. These included the first test flight of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, which is intended to conduct commercial resupply missions to the International Space Station under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program, and the...
- Comparison of small lift launch systems
- List of launch vehicles
- List of Korea-related topics
- Timeline of first orbital launches by country
External links
- KARI (Korea Aerospace Research Institute)
- KARI Space activities
- South Korea Completes Space Center For Rocket Launch
- Gov't Approves Launch of S. Korea's First Space Rocket
- KSLV-I from Encyclopedia AstronauticaEncyclopedia AstronauticaThe Encyclopedia Astronautica is a reference web site on space travel. A comprehensive catalog of vehicles, technology, astronauts, and flights, it includes information from most countries that have had an active rocket research program, from Robert Goddard to the NASA Space shuttle to the Soviet...