[Courtesy of Hanwha Aerospace]
SEOUL -- Hanwha Aerospace will work with South Korea's aeronautics and space agency to push for the early completion of a low-cost, high-efficiency launcher that can shoot a satellite weighing 500 kilograms into space.
Hanwha Aerospace and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) aim to complete the conceptual design after a system requirement review in March 2022. "We will utilize our performance in various fields to create an economical and reliable system solution for the launch of small projectiles," Hanwha Aerospace CEO Shin Hyun-woo said in a statement on December 6.
Hanwha Aerospace is a key member of Space Hub, a joint team established by South Kora's Hanwha Group to combine different products or services such as satellite components. KARI is involved in a space program to produce small low-orbit satellites weighing under 100 kilograms.
The government aims to cultivate innovative companies like Space X, a U.S. aerospace company. The mid-term goal is to develop solid-propellant boosters. Liquid-propellant rockets offer more efficient and controllable alternatives, but solid rockets are used in military armament or as light launch vehicles because of their simplicity and reliability. .
