<Anchor>



Following the Korean launch vehicle Nuri this year, interest in the space industry is growing as the lunar probe Danuri recently succeeded.

Until now, the government has led the development of space, but in the future, like Space X in the United States, we plan to lead private companies.



This is reporter Jae Hee-won.



<Reporter>



A total of 370,000 parts were put into the Korean launch vehicle Nuri.



All made by ourselves.



It is the result of collaboration between the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, a government agency, and about 300 private companies, from development to design and launch.



The first launch was successful, but it needs to be able to fire more often at a lower cost to be commercially viable.



[Lee Jun-won / Executive Vice President of Hanwha Aerospace: Since it is not made tens or hundreds a year like airplanes, but only one a year, there is a limit to how companies can pursue profits…

.]



It is the same 75-ton engine that was actually used in the Nuri.



We have made 34 such engines for testing and launch, and we plan to actively share this original technology with the private sector from the end of this year.



Next month, the government plans to select a company to oversee the entire process, including design and assembly, launch and control.



Like Space X in the United States, it is going to entrust the domestic space business to companies.



Hanwha Aerospace, which developed the first-stage engine of the Nuri-ho, and Korea Aerospace Industries, which has strengths in the assembling of parts, are competing.



[Han Chang-heon / Managing Director of Korea Aerospace Industries: By transferring all the technology that NASA had to private companies, various startups and industrial ecosystems were created in the United States.

(Korea too) It is necessary to create an opportunity for companies to enter boldly.]



The selected company will participate in the third launch and operation of the Nuri ship scheduled for early next year, and take charge of the projectile production from the fourth launch.



Korea has been ranked as one of the world's seven largest space powers, but the budget for space development is small compared to the size of the economy or other countries.



The government needs to actively provide support such as nurturing human resources and providing business opportunities so that our private companies can quickly accumulate skills and experience.



(Video coverage: Oh Young-chun, Video editing: Choi Eun-jin)