Key attendees participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate the completion of the Launch Vehicle Technology Cooperation Building at KARI headquarters in Daejeon on May 12. Courtesy of KARI
The Launch Vehicle Technology Cooperation Building has been completed within the Daejeon headquarters of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI). Hanwha Aerospace, the system integrator for the Korean launch vehicle Nuri, and its private partner companies will be based here to strengthen cooperation between research and industry.
KARI announced that it held a completion ceremony for the Launch Vehicle Technology Cooperation Building at its headquarters on the 12th.
Construction on the Launch Vehicle Technology Cooperation Building began in 2023. The building has one basement level and three above-ground floors, with a total floor area of 5,930 square meters (㎡). It is designed to serve as a platform to accelerate the private sector transfer of launch vehicle technology and foster industry collaboration.
Inside the building, there are meeting rooms for technology transfer training, seminars, and technical discussions between KARI and the system integrator. The second floor is designated as office space for private partner companies, while the third floor will be used by KARI personnel. The floors were separated for security reasons.
Hanwha Aerospace, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, and UCONSYSTEM are scheduled to move into the second floor. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries will be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the launch pad, while UCONSYSTEM will handle the joint design and maintenance of the ground systems for launch operations.
KARI and Hanwha Aerospace plan to conduct Nuri technology transfer training, as well as operate follow-up and technology tracking programs for the transferred technologies at the Launch Vehicle Technology Cooperation Building. They also plan to collaborate on development, including joint design, for the next-generation launch vehicle that will succeed Nuri.
Lee Sang-ryool, President of KARI, stated, “The Launch Vehicle Technology Cooperation Building will be more than just a site for transferring Korean launch vehicle technology to the private sector; it will become a forward base for all-round cooperation with industry to advance the Republic of Korea’s space transportation capabilities.”
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