After Nuri: Government Begins Development of 'Space Transportation' with Orbital Transfer Vehicle

Securing Core Technology for Delivering Satellites to Desired Orbits
Flight Model Demonstration by 2029... Laying the Groundwork for Multi-Orbit and Lunar Transfer Missions

The government has launched efforts to acquire “space transportation” technology that goes beyond launch vehicles and enables the transfer of satellites to their desired orbits in space. Until now, the Nuri rocket has been responsible for delivering satellites into space, but going forward, the plan is to secure technology using Orbital Transfer Vehicles (OTVs) to move satellites to their final destinations. This move is seen as laying the groundwork to strengthen the competitiveness of launch services in the era of multiple satellites and to prepare for future lunar transfer orbit missions.

Conceptual diagram of Helios-based lunar cargo transport. This image illustrates the plan for Helios to carry the lunar lander to lunar orbit and then separate from it. Provided by Impulse Space

According to the Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA) on July 20, the government will invest a total of 40 billion won by 2029 to promote the “Development and Demonstration of Orbital Transfer Vehicle Flight Model” project. Selection of the research and development institution is currently underway, and the Request for Proposal (RFP) specifies core objectives such as deployment of satellites into multiple orbits, lunar transfer orbit missions, and flight model development and demonstration.

Nuri to Space... OTV to the Destination

KASA describes this project as a “performance expansion” of the Nuri rocket. Currently, the Nuri rocket is a one-time use launch vehicle whose mission ends once it places a satellite into its target orbit. In contrast, the OTV serves to move satellites from one orbit to another or transport them to specific mission points in space.

Kang Hyunwoo, Head of the Space Science Exploration Mission Design Program at KASA, said, “If the Nuri rocket is about sending satellites into space, OTV is about transporting them to their final destination in space,” adding, “This is a project to expand the use of Nuri and enhance the competitiveness of South Korea's space industry.”

Domestic satellite industry officials also identify “precise orbital insertion” as the biggest change. At present, shared launch services like SpaceX’s “Transporter” only send satellites to predetermined orbits, after which the satellites must use their own propulsion to reach their intended orbits.

Lee Jeongkyu, Director at Nara Space, said, “Shared launches are like taking an intercity bus since you can only go as far as the set orbit, but with OTV, you can travel directly to the customer’s desired orbit,” adding, “If only price competitiveness can be secured, domestic services could easily be used as well.”

From ‘To Space’ to the Era of ‘Space Utilization’

Launch vehicle companies see OTV as the starting point for a new space service market.

An Innospace official commented, “Launch vehicles and OTVs are not in competition, but rather are complementary systems with different roles,” explaining, “The launch vehicle transports to space, and the OTV handles the journey to the final destination.”

The official added, “If launch vehicles only insert payloads into standardized orbits and OTVs are responsible for further orbital changes, this will greatly increase the flexibility of launch services. It will open a new commercial service market supporting the deployment of multiple satellites into different orbits, as well as lunar and deep space missions.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.