Perigee Aerospace
TypePrivate
Founded2018 (2018)[1]
Headquarters
Daejeon
,
South Korea
Key people
Yoon Shin, CEO[1]
Number of employees
30[2]
Websiteperigee.kr

Perigee Aerospace is a private developer and manufacturer of orbital and sub-orbital launch vehicles located in Daejeon, South Korea. The company was formally established in 2018, but work began in 2012,[1] initially with the launch of sounding rockets.[3]

As of 2019, Perigee Aerospace employed 30 people. It develops the small orbital rocket Blue Whale 1. As of 2019, the company also planned to develop a larger rocket.[2]

Vehicles

Blue Whale 1

Blue Whale 1
FunctionSmall-lift Orbital launch vehicle
ManufacturerPerigee Aerospace
Country of originSouth Korea
Cost per launchUS$3 million[4]
Size
Height21 m (69 ft)[4]
Diameter1,600 mm (63 in)[4]
Mass2,200 kg (4,900 lb)[5]
Stages2
Capacity
Payload to 500km SSO
Mass170 kg (370 lb)[5]
Payload to 500km LEO
Mass150 kg (330 lb)[5]
Launch history
StatusIn Development
Launch sitesJeju Space Center
Total launchesNo launches yet
First flight2024
First stage
Engines9 Blue 1S
Thrust306 KN (vacuum)
Specific impulse327 s (vacuum)
Burn time210 s
PropellantLOX/methane
Second stage
Engines1 Skyblue
Thrust4.3 KN (vacuum)
Specific impulse355 s (vacuum)
Burn time400 s
PropellantLOX/methane

The two-stage[1] Blue Whale 1 is a partially reusable orbital rocket in development.[6] Launching from a sea launch pad in Jeju space center in South Korea,[7] it can deliver up to 170 kg to a Sun-synchronous orbit with an altitude of 500 km. The maiden flight was planned for July 2020 but has been delayed several times. Perigee Aerospace hopes to build the capacity to launch up to 40 Blue Whale 1 rockets per year at a price of less than US$3 million. The maiden flight of Blue Whale 1 is expected to take place in 2024.

Sounding Rockets

Started in 2012, Perigee Aerospace began by developing and launching numerous sounding rockets for meteorological research for the Korean government. In 2018 and 2019 the company received two rounds of venture capital backing from some of South Korea's leading technology investors including Samsung Venture Investments and LB Investment (a subsidiary of LG) to support the development of Blue Whale.The company is also supported by KAIST, South Korea's top technical research institution.[8]

According to an interview posted on the website of Expedition College in March 2020, an educational program by Dong-A Science,[9] Perigee Aerospace was planning to launch a suborbital sounding rocket developed in collaboration with KAIST.[10] This sounding rocket, designated Blue Whale 0.1, was launched on 29 December 2021 in order to validate the engines of the Blue Whale 1 rocket. The flight was terminated shortly after takeoff due to unexpectedly strong winds.[11]

Third flight of Blue Whale 0.1 took place 24 March 2022 from Jeju Island. It was suborbital flight test and it was successful.[12]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Blenkin, Max (28 October 2019). "Korean firm Perigee plans first South Australian rocket launch". Space Connect. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  2. 1 2 Henry, Caleb (23 October 2019). "Backed by Samsung, South Korean startup Perigee aims for 2020 maiden launch". SpaceNews. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  3. ↑ Plouffe, Jim (30 September 2019). "South Korean rocket startup to launch from South Australia". The Lead South Australia. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 "Perigee Aerospace Inc. – Introduction". Perigee Aerospace. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 "Mission". Perigee Aerospace. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  6. ↑ Perigee Space: Mission
  7. ↑ S. Korean Startup to Construct Offshore Rocket Launch Platform in Jeju
  8. ↑ StudyAdelaide. "Perigee Aerospace has signed an agreement to use the Southern Launch rocket facilities in South Australia". StudyAdelaide. Retrieved 2021-10-05.
  9. ↑ Cho, Seung-han (27 March 2020). "탐험대학·시민과학풀씨 참가자 모집" [Recruitment of participants for the Expedition College Citizen Science Program]. Dong-A Science (in Korean). Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  10. ↑ "알아두면 쓸모 있는 탐험멘토 Talk 2탄 ⑦ 신동윤 멘토 미니인터뷰!" [Useful to know Exploration Mentor Talk Part 2 ⑦ Mentor Shin Dong-yoon mini interview!]. Expedition College (in Korean). 8 April 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2020 – via Naver.
  11. ↑ Lim, Chang-won (29 December 2021). "Sudden gust of winds foils launch of sounding rocket built by rocket start-up". Aju Business Daily. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  12. ↑ "Blue Whale 0.1 Review". YouTube. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
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