[Diary Point | Reporter Kim Jeong-hun] Hanwha Aerospace opened its Suncheon facility, a launch vehicle manufacturing center, on November 4 in the Yulchon Industrial Complex in Suncheon, South Jeolla Province. The roughly 59,500-square-meter site is a private-sector production hub for integrating and assembling key components of Nuri and next-generation launch vehicles.
The facility’s first assignment is Nuri’s sixth launch, scheduled for 2027. It will assemble and verify the performance of the rocket’s first, second and third stages, including its 75-ton-class engines. Once assembly is complete in Suncheon, the vehicle will be transported to the Naro Space Center in Goheung for launch preparations.
From Nuri production to next-generation launch vehicles
Production will extend beyond Nuri. Hanwha Aerospace plans to build next-generation launch vehicles, reusable-technology demonstrators and rockets developed in-house at the Suncheon facility. It also plans to expand production of key components such as methane engines and propellant tanks.
The company aims to enter the space transportation market with its own launch vehicle in 2029 and begin commercial launch services for Nuri and next-generation rockets in 2033. Its plans include putting payloads ranging from small satellites to space data centers into orbit.
The opening ceremony also included a partnership pledge with 40 suppliers involved in launch vehicle production. Suncheon City said it hopes to connect local manufacturers’ expertise in precision machining, metal materials and welding with the space industry, creating opportunities for talent development and youth employment.
Kim Sun, head of Hanwha Aerospace’s space business, described the Suncheon facility as key infrastructure for a private-sector-led space era. He said the company aims to strengthen the capabilities of Korean space companies and build a foundation for entering global markets. If production and assembly in Suncheon and launches from Goheung become an established model, collaboration across the southern coast’s space industry is also expected to grow.