• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.165-173
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• 2007

A space launch vehicle system represents a typical example of large-scale multi-disciplinary systems, consisting of subsystems such as mechanical structure, electronics, control, telecommunication, propulsion, material engineering etc. A lot of cost is required to develop the launch vehicle system. A precise planning of R&D cost is very essential to make a success of the launch vehicle development program. Especially in the early development phase of a new space launch vehicle system, cost estimation techniques and analogy from past similar development data are very useful methods to estimate a development cost of the launch vehicle system. Now Korea Aerospace Research Institute is in charge of the KSLV-I (Korea Space Launch Vehicle-I) Program that is a part of Korea National Space program. KSLV-I Program is a national undertaking to develop launch capabilities to deliver science satellites of a 100kg-class into a low earth orbit. It is hereafter, going to plan to develop a new korean space launch vehicle. In this paper, first the development costs of well-known launch vehicles in the world are presented to provide a reference to make a development plan of a new launch vehicle. Second this paper introduces the present status of cost estimation applications at NASA. Finally this paper presents the results from application of a TRANSCOST, a parametric cost model, to derive a cost estimate of a new launch vehicle development, as an example.

• Bulletin of the Korean Space Science Society
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• 2009.10a
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• pp.46.3-46.3
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• 2009

The SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellite has the advantage of implementing the imaging mission even though it is night time, cloudy weather, and all weather conditions, which is different from the satellite with the optical payload. This is the reason why the SAR satellite comes into the spotlight in the observation satellite field. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) has been developing the first Korean SAR satellite and is currently integrating and testing the Flight Model. For the launch vehicle service, KARI finalized the selection of the launch vehicle service provider and finished Critical Design Review (CDR) of the interface between the bus and the launch vehicle. KARI and launch vehicle service provider also finished the test of the telemetry interface between the bus and the launch vehicle. The test of the telemetry interface has the purpose of checking the interface of the telemetry which is the SOH(State-of-Health) of the satellite in an early launch stage. For this test, KARI has finished the development of the spacecraft simulator which is composed of the bus simulator to generate the analog telemetry and the launch vehicle simulator to gather the telemetry. In this research, the result of the hardware implementation and the software implementation for the spacecraft simulator were described. Finally the results of the launch vehicle telemetry MUX test which were performed at the launch vehicle provider's design office by using the spacecraft simulator were summarized. It is expected that this simulator will be used in the next test after the manufacture of the launch vehicle.

• Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.57-63
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• 2021

The launch vehicle (LV) separation detection interface of the satellite, which is designed to initiate the launch and early operation phase (LEOP) for S-band data transmission and the solar array deployment after the LV separation, is one of the hazard items at the launch site. Therefore, this interface should satisfy the single-fault tolerance requirement for the range safety. In this paper, we discuss the LV separation detection interfaces for two different satellite launch configurations and propose a method to guarantee for the satellite to start the LEOP even under the emergency case such as a partial separation from the LV. Furthermore, the proposed method meets the range safety requirement of the launch site. As this method only changes the external harness configuration of the satellite, it increases the reliability of the satellite early operation without any modification of the existing internal logics to detect the separation event.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Systems Engineering
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.61-66
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• 2005

In executing the large scale national project, such as development of space launch vehicle, it is most important to guarantee the technological reliability. However the reliability analysis of launch vehicle is different from other mass product goods because of the limitation of budget and number of tests. In this study, the reliability analysis technique of the propulsion system, which is one of the major sub-systems of launch vehicle is illustrated and applied to the liquid rocket engine of KSR-III.

• Bulletin of the Korean Space Science Society
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• 2004.10b
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• pp.341-343
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• 2004

In executing the large scale national project, such as development of space launch vehicle, it is most important to guarantee the technological reliability. However the reliability analysis of launch vehicle is different from other mass product goods because of the limitation of budget and number of tests. In this study, the reliability analysis technique of the propulsion system, which is one of the major sub-systems of launch vehicle is illustrated and applied to the liquid rocket engine of KSR-III.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.45 no.12
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• pp.1069-1075
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• 2017

With the recent development of space technology, the satellite market, especially the small satellite market, is growing globally. As the satellite market continues to grow, the launch vehicle market is also growing, and demand for low-cost launches is increasing. There are a number of options for low-cost launches, including development of engine that uses low-cost propellants, product and transportation cost savings, but the most effective way to reduce launch costs is to reuse the used launch vehicles. USA's Space Shuttle, a famous rocket as manned spacecraft, could be referred as the start of reusable launch vehicle. However, Space Shuttle had limited reusable parts and it was very expensive even though it is a reusable launch vehicle because of its low efficiency. In recent years, aiming at a real reusable launch vehicle, reusable launch vehicle for commercial purposes have been developed around USA's SpaceX and Blue Origin, and re-landing tests were successfully accomplished. In addition, SpaceX successfully did the re-using of first-stage launch vehicle that had been succeeded in re-landing already. In accordance with this trend, countries such as Europe and India are also concentrating on the study of reusable launch vehicles. Including Blue Origin, companies like Virgin Galactic and XCOR in the United States, are also trying to commercialize the same reusable technology as the private manned space tourism. Confirmation of these technology trends is essential, because the re-use technology could change the landscape of the global launch vehicle market.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.341-348
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• 2015

This paper addresses Monte-Carlo simulation analyses for the stage separation of the general launch vehicle. The stage separation event of the launch vehicle occurs during a very short time and is related with many dynamic parameters. The stage separation is a critical event in that the launch fails if there is a collision during the stage separation. The stage separation analyses was conducted for the general launch vehicle to confirm the separation without collision within the designed clearance in case of the random input parameters. This paper presents the stochastic results of the stage separation of the launch vehicle using the Monte-Carlo simulation.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.195.1-195.1
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• 2012

Korea Aerospace Research Institute has developed an earth observation satellite whose primary mission objective is to provide high resolution electro optical earth images for Geographical Information Systems (GIS) establishment and the applications for environmental, agriculture and ocean monitoring. It was successfully launched into its mission orbit by using a commercial launch vehicle on 18th of May, 2012. This paper describes a series of launch activity at the launch site including its transportation to the launch site. Before conducting the launch site operation, satellite operation plane was prepared. Combining the satellite operation plan and launch vehicle activities, an integrated launch site operation plan and schedule have been drawn up. After arrival of the spacecraft at the launch site, post-ship check out has been conducted. And then it was fuel loaded and integrated with launch vehicle hardware. After completion of final electrical check out, count down procedure was executed. on 18th of May, it was launched into the space and was separated from the launch vehicle as planned. About 3 months of early operation and calibration/validation, now the satellite is conducting its normal mission.

• Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.35-40
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• 2016

Mid-course correction maneuvers (MCCMs) are necessary to correct the launch-vehicle dispersion to go to the Moon. There were 3 or 4 MCCMs needed for a direct transfer trajectory. But the strategy for MCCMs of the phasing-loop trajectory is different, because it has a longer trans-lunar trajectory than direct transfer does. An orbiter using a phasing-loop trajectory has several rotations of the Earth, so the orbiter has several good places, such as perigee and apogee, to correct the launch-vehicle dispersion. Although launch dispersion is relatively high, the launch vehicle is not as accurate as we expected. A good MCCM strategy can overcome the high dispersion by using small-magnitude correction maneuvers. This paper describes the phasing-loops sequence and strategy to correct high launch-vehicle dispersions.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.101-112
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• 2021

SpaceX shows various strategies such as constructing various payload portfolio through the reuse of Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy, constructing the launch vehicles using one type of engine, the transition from kerosene engine to methane engine, and the use of 3D printing. In this study, launch vehicle proposals that can cover a variety of payloads and trajectories from KOMPSAT to GEO-KOMPSAT were constructed, and ten launch vehicles using kerosene gas generator cycle engine, kerosene staged-combustion cycle engine, and methane staged-combustion cycle engine were reviewed. Of the ten launch vehicles, the reusable launch vehicle using a 35-ton methane engine was rated as the best in terms of development potential.