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[Apha Biz=(Chicago) Reporter Paul Lee] A large number of key personnel who succeeded in launching the Korean launch vehicle (Nuri) by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute are expected to move to private space companies.
There are voices pointing out the issue of fairness in the massive transfer of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute's launch vehicle personnel to a specific company at a sensitive time ahead of the selection of a comprehensive company for the next-generation launch vehicle system worth 2 trillion won. The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to start bidding as early as this month to select a comprehensive company for the next-generation projectile business system following Nuri.
According to industry sources on the 11th, Hanwha Aerospace recently recruited Cho Kwang-rae, former head of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, as CTO (chief technology officer) and director of the "Future Space Basic Technology Research Institute (tentative name)," which is in charge of basic space research, and nearly 20 researchers at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute are expected to move.
Cho is the first generation of domestic space development and an expert in space launch vehicles. He led the development of Korea's first solid-fuel rocket (KSR-1) and the development of Korea's first space launch vehicle, the Naro, and served as head of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute for three years from 2014. I also participated in Nuriho development.
Hanwha Aerospace explained that former director Cho will lead the era of a private-led space economy based on 30 years of experience, capacity and expertise. Following Cho, Hanwha is also said to be seeking to recruit mid-sized leader-level projectile personnel for Hang Woo-yeon. Inside the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, about 20 people are expected to retire and move to Hanwha.
"Apart from the former director Cho, none of the projectile researchers have resigned yet," an official at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute said. "However, we understand that there is some contact with Hanwha for the transfer."
AlphaBIZ 폴 리(hoondork1977@alphabiz.co.kr)
