[Editor's Note] Donga Science, the publisher of the science magazine <Children's Science Donga>, has been hosting the ‘Children's Astronaut Competition’ since 2024 to discover Korea's future astronauts and instill in children a sense of dream and challenge regarding space. In 2024, 1,656 elementary school students completed over 50 space missions, and the two final selected child astronauts visited the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). This series introduces the vivid activities of the space buds, the Children's Space Press Corps, who are growing into future space talents by exploring major domestic space agencies and companies.
On August 29, the Children's Space Press Corps attended a lecture and conducted an interview with Hyun Sung-yoon, Program Manager of the Korean Launch Vehicle Program in the Space Transportation Division of the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), at the Donga Science headquarters in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul.
Space transportation is a general term for moving satellites, astronauts, and other objects from Earth to space, from one point in space to another, and from space back to Earth using launch vehicles. The Korean Launch Vehicle Program, led by Program Manager Hyun, plays a role in advancing related technologies and projects, including Korean launch vehicles like the Nuri, orbital transport vehicles, reentry vehicles, and spacecraft propulsion systems.
“Transportation is particularly important in space exploration because both goods and people must be delivered safely,” said Program Manager Hyun. “Part of space transportation also includes planning for astronauts to return to Earth safely after working in space.”
When planning a launch vehicle's trajectory, factors like speed, fuel efficiency, and mission duration are meticulously considered in the design. “If the Nuri's total weight is about 200 tons, the payload, such as satellites, accounts for only 1.5 tons,” Hyun explained. “About 183 tons is propellant, which includes the fuel used to send the launch vehicle into space.”
When child reporter Lee Hyun-seo asked, “A space shuttle would need double the fuel, so how is that managed?” Program Manager Hyun Sung-yoon replied, “We calculate and load the total amount of fuel needed for the space shuttle's entire round trip from the very beginning.”
Hyun added, “If reusable launch vehicles, like SpaceX's Falcon 9, become commercialized, development costs will also decrease.” Currently, it costs about 36 million won to launch 1 kg of payload on the Nuri.
After the lecture, child reporter Kim Ji-a asked, “What should I study to become an expert in the aerospace field?” Hyun Sung-yoon answered, “You should focus on what you are good at and interested in, and then find out how that can be applied to aerospace technology.”
Hyun stated, “A single launch vehicle combines an incredible number of fields, including propulsion systems, materials, overall design, and post-launch control. The aerospace sector is a place where experts from various fields, not just space engineers but also mathematicians, astronomers, physicists, and geologists, collaborate.”
After the interview, child reporter Lee Hyun-seo shared his thoughts: “My dream is to become a robotics engineer, and hearing about space transportation has strengthened my desire to create special robots that can be used in space. I want to develop humanoids that will pioneer new areas of space and contribute to the future of the Republic of Korea.”
Meanwhile, the 2nd Children's Astronaut Competition is sponsored by Kolon, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), Boryung, TelePIX, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), KAIST Space Research Institute, and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI). The final child astronauts who excel in their missions will earn the opportunity to visit and report on NASA and other U.S. space companies in November.
Carry out various space missions with 'Children's Science Donga' and challenge yourself to become a final child astronaut!
▼Apply to the Children's Space Press Corps
https://press.popcornplanet.co.kr/astronaut/intro
