Preliminary Study for Lightweight Propellant Tank of Post Korea Space Launch Vehicle-II

KSLV-2 (Korean Space Launch Vehicle-2) is a fully South Korean orbital launch vehicle development effort. KSLV-2 will be a three-stage rocket designed to boost 1,500 kg to a 700 km sun synchronous low Earth orbit. All three stages will use LOX/kerosene propulsion developed by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI). The first stage, with a 3.5 meters’ diameter, will be powered by four KRE-75 gas generator engines each producing 75 tons of sea-level thrust. The 2.6-meter diameter second stage will be powered by a single, vacuum-optimized KRE-75. A small 7 tons thrust gas generator engine (KRE-7) will power the 2.6-meter diameter third (kick) stage. KSLV-2 will stand 47.2 meters in height and will weigh around 200 tons at liftoff. Plans call for the rocket to enter service during the early 2020s. In order to optimize the design and maximize payload KARI is evaluating advanced Al-Li alloys (Airware) and Spin forming and FSW technology to produce domes. Paper will provide an overview of KSLV-2 and manufacturing technologies.