"We Couldn't Even See the Rocket on Our Own Soil"…Nuriho Soars After Overcoming Past Humiliation [Nuriho 5th Launch]

Researchers Blocked by Russian Security During Naro-1 Era
Soviet-Era Soyuz Engineer Secretly Shares Material Composition

[Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province = The Asia Business Daily reporter Kim Jonghwa] "Should we have to suffer this kind of humiliation when launching from our own soil?"

At the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, the Korea Space Launch Vehicle Nuriho had just completed its fifth successful flight. With just over 20 minutes to go before launch, Jung Taegyu, head of the Space Propulsion Research Division at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, recalled what it was like when South Korea had no launch vehicle of its own.

Jung told the group of observers who had gathered to watch Nuriho's fifth launch on October 7: "When we first started developing rockets, there was almost no one in the country we could ask, no experts, and no materials we could obtain. To put it bluntly, we were starting from scratch."

The Korean launch vehicle Nuriho is soaring into space, emitting flames, from the second launch pad at Naro Space Center in Goheung, Jeollanam-do at 12:25 PM on the 7th. On this day, Nuriho successfully entered the target orbit and properly separated the five main payloads, which are micro nanosatellite clusters, achieving success on its fifth launch. Provided by Korea Aerospace Research Institute

The moment he remembers most vividly was during the development of Naro. Developed jointly with Russia, Naro was a two-stage launch vehicle: the first stage was imported from Russia, while the second-stage solid rocket was developed in South Korea.

When the first-stage rocket arrived from Russia at the assembly building at Naro Space Center, South Korean researchers were curious about what it looked like inside. But even getting close was difficult. The Russian side strictly restricted access to the launch vehicle to prevent technology leaks.

"When we walked over to look at the launch vehicle, Russian security guards were standing watch," Jung said. "They didn't say a word; they just gestured for us to go away." He said he thought at the time, "Should we have to suffer this kind of humiliation when launching from our own soil?"

A Note Slipped to Him Behind the Security Guards' Backs

During the period of technical cooperation with Russia, even obtaining a small piece of technical information was difficult.

While on a business trip to Russia in his early 30s, Jung asked a local engineer what material had been used for a rocket valve. The engineer was in his 70s. He had taken part in developing the engine for the Soviet Union's Soyuz rocket and, Jung said, had helped send Yuri Gagarin into space.

But a Russian security guard was sitting beside the engineer, monitoring whether technical information beyond the scope of the contract was being passed to the South Korean side.

The Russian engineer initially said nothing, but a little later, he wrote something on a piece of paper. After checking that no one was watching, he discreetly handed it to Jung. The paper listed the components of the valve material Jung had asked about.

"That's when I realized that engineers understand one another," Jung said. "Having the ingredients didn't mean we could make the exact same thing, so we used them only as a reference."

South Korea later embarked on developing its own rocket engine. The engine proved to be the biggest challenge. It had to withstand temperatures exceeding 3,000 degrees and high pressure. During development, researchers also encountered "combustion instability," in which combustion pressure oscillates at high frequencies and can destroy the engine.

"Rocket engine technology was the most difficult part," Jung said, explaining that the researchers responsible for combustion and propulsion found a solution after numerous trials and errors.

Then, at 12:25 p.m. on October 7, the independently developed Nuriho lifted off from the second launch pad at Naro Space Center. White flames and gray smoke surged upward at liftoff, and the vibrations reached the floor of the observation area in the research building. Observers rushed to the windows and raised their smartphones, filming until Nuriho disappeared from view.

Nuriho successfully entered its target orbit and deployed its five primary payload satellites, a cluster of micro-satellites. Its fifth launch was a success, marking four consecutive successful launches since its second launch in 2022.

The researchers who had once been restricted from even approaching the Russian-built first stage of Naro are now repeatedly sending their own independently developed launch vehicle into space. Recalling those days, Jung said, "I vowed then that we would definitely succeed on our own, without your help."

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