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Last year, Korea successfully launched the rocket Nuri, which was built with its own technology, and the first lunar probe Danuri.

Now, as much as we need to compete with the global market, this year we are challenging ourselves to develop cutting-edge technologies such as rocket reuse and 3D printing.



Reporter Jeong Gu-hee reports.



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Space X, created by Elon Musk, has succeeded in commercializing a reusable rocket that can be reused and reducing the rocket launch price to less than 1/10.



SpaceX's new rockets also switched to methane.



Unlike conventional fuel kerosene, it produces almost no soot, which greatly increases the rate of reuse of rocket engines.



Rocket Lab, an American company, succeeded in sending a satellite to the moon in June of last year using a small rocket 18m long and only half the size of the Nuriho.



The small rocket market is growing rapidly as the performance of rockets is rapidly improving and satellites are getting lighter.



Korea is also researching small rockets and rocket reuse technology at the same time.


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The methane engine, which will be mounted on a small rocket, emits blue flames unique to methane combustion.



For the reuse test, I succeeded in turning the lights off and on 5 times in a row, and the output is also adjusted for rocket landing.



[Lee Jun-seong/Korea Aerospace Research Institute Future Projectile Research Group: Demonstration of deep throttling technology, one of the reuse technologies by continuously adjusting the amount of propellant to lower the thrust (successfully)



] The number of parts is greatly reduced, and mass production is also possible.



The final goal is to compete with the world by 3D printing a large 35-ton methane engine.



In addition, the scientific community's challenge to become a space power continues this year, including the launch of the third Nuri in the first half of this year and the development of next-generation rockets after the Nuri.



(Video coverage: Park Jin-ho, video editing: Shin Se-eun, screen source: Space X, NASA, Relativity Space)