Private sector's role increased in 5th Nuri launch

Nuri completed its fifth launch at the Naro Space Center in Goheung at 12:25 p.m. Wednesday, with Hanwha Aerospace taking a much larger operational role. Hanwha deployed 42 staffers and directly operated controls at 18 of 22 launch-control consoles. KARI retained overall command, but responsibilities will shift further to Hanwha from the sixth launch in 2027 and are expected to transfer fully by the eighth launch.

Hanwha Aerospace staff directly operated 18 launch-control consoles during the fifth launch, compared with a largely observational role for its 32 employees at the fourth launch.

Starting with the sixth launch, Hanwha Aerospace plans to assemble each Nuri stage at its own facility before transporting the stages to the Naro Space Center for final assembly.

By the eighth launch, Hanwha Aerospace is expected to assume responsibility for preparations, countdown procedures and final launch execution.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries operated the second launchpad systems, while Hyundai Rotem built propulsion-system testing facilities for the mission.

SK hynix will test DRAM and universal flash storage products against space radiation and high-energy particles, and LG Group will test commercial components in the space environment.

Published Oct 7, 2026 4:14 pm KST

Hanwha Aerospace takes bigger role as Korea accelerates shift toward private-led space industry

The Nuri rocket lifts off at the launchpad of the Naro Space Center in Goheung, Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Private companies played a significantly greater role in the successful fifth launch of Korea’s Nuri rocket on Wednesday, signaling that the country’s efforts to keep pace with the global shift toward a private sector-led “New Space” era are gaining momentum.

The Nuri rocket completed its fifth launch and 20-minute-long flight successfully after lifting off at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City, at 12:25 p.m.

The most notable change in the latest launch was not the rocket itself, but the growing presence of private-sector personnel at the launch site. Hanwha Aerospace has overseen the manufacturing of the Nuri rocket as its system integrator since the fourth launch on Nov. 27 last year, but this time, its role expanded to the consoles at the launch control center.

Hanwha Aerospace deployed 42 staffers for the fifth launch. They participated in operations at 20 of the 22 consoles responsible for launch vehicle systems, and at 18 of them, Hanwha employees directly operated the controls instead of specialists from the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI).

This marked a significant increase from the fourth launch, when 32 Hanwha Aerospace employees were present at the launch site but were largely limited to observing and supporting KARI personnel.

The Nuri rocket arrives at the launchpad of the Naro Space Center in Goheung, Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City, Tuesday. Courtesy of Korea Aerospace Research Institute

In the space rocket industry, hands-on launch experience is considered as important as designing and manufacturing space vehicles. Experiences in processes such as launch preparations, propellant loading, system checks and responses to unexpected situations become an important technological asset for private companies, marking a major step in transferring operational expertise from the government to the private sector.

KARI still retains overall responsibility and command of the fifth launch in a supervisory role, but Hanwha Aerospace’s role will expand further from the sixth launch, scheduled for 2027.

Until now, the stages of the Nuri rocket have been assembled at the Naro Space Center. Starting with the sixth launch, Hanwha Aerospace plans to assemble each stage at its own assembly facility before transporting them to the space center, where the company will conduct final assembly of the rocket. KARI’s involvement in launch operations will also be reduced, with Hanwha taking a leading role in executing the launch sequence.

The transfer will continue through the seventh launch, with KARI’s involvement reduced further. By the eighth launch, Hanwha Aerospace, as the system integrator, is expected to take full responsibility for the entire launch process, from preparations and countdown procedures to the final execution of the launch.

Along with Hanwha Aerospace, a number of major Korean companies participated in the fifth launch.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries built the mechanical, propellant supply and control systems for the second launchpad at the Naro Space Center, which has been used for all Nuri launches, and was responsible for overall operation of the launchpad systems during the latest mission. Hyundai Rotem designed and built testing facilities for the rocket’s propulsion system.

The launch also serves as a test bed for technologies from other industries. SK hynix will test its DRAM and universal flash storage memory products to assess their resistance to space radiation and high-energy particles, while LG Group will test commercial components developed by its affiliates in the space environment.

The NEONSAT satellite carried on the Nuri rocket / Courtesy of Korea AeroSpace Administration

Industry officials and experts said expanding the private sector’s role will require more frequent launches and improved cost efficiency.

Unmanned Exploration Laboratory CEO Lee Jae-ho, whose company developed the UEL-Y-Sys CubeSat carried on the fifth launch, said the “mission brought the company one step closer to its goal of lunar exploration,” and that he hopes “the Nuri can be launched more frequently.”

Kang Sung-joo, a former senior research fellow at the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, said that shortening the production times and maintaining consistent quality are important factors for the Nuri to be used continuously.

“The number of launches is still limited. We need to launch more frequently and continue accumulating experience in maintaining consistent quality and a stable success rate through that process,” he said.

努里号火箭于周三下午12点25分在韩国豪兴市罗老航天中心成功完成第五次发射，韩华航天公司承担了更为重要的运营角色。韩华公司派出42名工作人员，直接操作了22个发射控制台中的18个。韩国航空航天研究院（KARI）保留了总体指挥权，但从2027年的第六次发射开始，指挥权将进一步移交给韩华公司，预计到第八次发射时将完全交接。

在第五次发射中，韩华航空航天公司的员工直接操作了 18 个发射控制台，而该公司 32 名员工在第四次发射中主要扮演观察者的角色。

从第六次发射开始，韩华航天计划在其自己的工厂组装每个 Nuri 火箭级，然后再将这些火箭级运送到罗良宇宙中心进行最终组装。

预计到第八次发射时，韩华航天公司将承担准备工作、倒计时程序和最终发射执行的责任。

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries 负责运营第二个发射台系统，而 Hyundai Rotem 则为该任务建造了推进系统测试设施。

SK海力士将测试DRAM和通用闪存存储产品在太空辐射和高能粒子环境下的性能，LG集团将测试商用组件在太空环境下的性能。

发布于2026年10月7日下午4:14（韩国标准时间）

随着韩国加速向私营企业主导的航天产业转型，韩华航空航天扮演着越来越重要的角色。

周三，努里号火箭从全罗南道光州特别广域市高兴市罗老宇宙中心发射台升空。韩国时报摄影师沈贤哲摄。

周三，韩国“努里”火箭第五次成功发射，私营企业在其中发挥了更为重要的作用，这表明韩国为跟上全球向私营部门主导的“新太空”时代转变的步伐而做出的努力正在取得进展。

“努里”号火箭于下午12点25分在全罗南道光州特别广域市高兴市罗鲁航天中心成功发射，完成了第五次发射，飞行时长20分钟。

最新一次发射最显著的变化并非火箭本身，而是发射场内私营企业人员的日益增多。自去年11月27日第四次发射以来，韩华航天公司一直作为系统集成商负责努里火箭的制造，但这一次，其职责范围扩大到了发射控制中心的控制台。

韩华航空航天公司为第五次发射部署了 42 名工作人员。他们参与了 22 个负责运载火箭系统的控制台中的 20 个的操作，其中 18 个控制台由韩华员工直接操作，而不是由韩国航空航天研究院 (KARI) 的专家操作。

这比第四次发射时人数有了显著增加，当时有 32 名韩华航空航天公司的员工在发射现场，但他们主要仅限于观察和支持韩国航空航天研究院 (KARI) 的人员。

周二，Nuri火箭抵达全罗南道光州特别广域市高兴市罗老宇宙中心的发射台。图片由韩国航空航天研究院提供。

在航天火箭行业，实际发射经验与航天器的设计和制造同等重要。诸如发射准备、推进剂加注、系统检查以及应对突发情况等流程经验，对于私营企业而言是一项重要的技术资产，标志着运营专长从政府向私营部门转移的重要一步。

韩国航空航天研究院 (KARI) 仍将以监督角色承担第五次发射的总体责任和指挥权，但从计划于 2027 年进行的第六次发射开始，韩华航空航天公司的角色将进一步扩大。

此前，Nuri火箭的各级火箭均在罗良宇宙中心进行组装。从第六次发射开始，韩华航天计划在其自有组装厂完成各级火箭的组装，然后再运往罗良宇宙中心进行最终组装。韩国航空航天研究院（KARI）在发射操作中的参与度也将降低，韩华航天将主导发射流程的执行。

该移交工作将持续到第七次发射，届时韩国航空航天研究院（KARI）的参与度将进一步降低。到第八次发射时，作为系统集成商的韩华航天公司预计将全面负责整个发射过程，包括准备工作、倒计时程序以及最终的发射执行。

除了韩华航空航天公司之外，还有多家韩国大型企业参与了第五次发射。

现代重工为罗良宇宙中心第二发射台建造了机械、推进剂供应和控制系统，该发射台用于所有“努里”火箭的发射，现代重工还负责最近一次任务中发射台系统的整体运行。现代Rotem公司则设计并建造了火箭推进系统的测试设施。

此次发射也为其他行业的技术提供了试验平台。SK海力士将测试其DRAM和通用闪存产品，以评估其在太空辐射和高能粒子环境下的抗辐射能力；LG集团则将测试其子公司开发的商用组件在太空环境中的性能。

由努里火箭搭载的NEONSAT卫星 / 图片由韩国航空航天管理局提供

业内人士和专家表示，扩大私营部门的作用需要更频繁地推出新产品并提高成本效益。

无人探索实验室首席执行官李在浩表示，该公司开发的 UEL-Y-Sys 立方体卫星在第五次发射中被携带，他表示“此次任务使公司离月球探索的目标更近了一步”，并希望“努里卫星能够更频繁地发射”。

韩国天文与空间科学研究院前高级研究员姜成柱表示，缩短生产时间和保持质量稳定是 Nuri 能够持续使用的重要因素。

“目前产品发布次数仍然有限。我们需要更频繁地发布产品，并通过这一过程不断积累经验，以保持产品质量的一致性和稳定的成功率。”他说道。