Chapter 218: Launch Prohibition Notice
The atmosphere in the conference room grew heavy.
The launch cost alone was 200 trillion won.
The word ‘impossible’ flashed in the minds of most attendees.
Then, Director Kim Se-bin spoke cautiously.
“Regarding that… our Autonomous Aviation Technology Research Institute is developing something.”
The screen lit up, displaying a document titled
As the page turned, a diagram of a rocket appeared: 58 meters long, with a first-stage diameter of 3.5 meters.
“This is the
Seong-hwan narrowed his eyes and asked,
“Isn’t rocket reusability a technology already proven by Elon Musk’s Spade Z?”
Earlier this year, Spade Z’s successful landing of a launch vehicle on a drone ship had become a global sensation.
‘A private company achieved what even NASA couldn’t…’
“We’re developing a reusable rocket using a method entirely different from Spade Z’s.”
“A different method?”
Seong-hwan, unfamiliar with the company’s situation due to his roles in the transition committee and advanced industrial policy division, bombarded her with questions.
“Spade Z’s Merlin engine uses a methane and liquid oxygen combination, but we’re using a hypergolic combination of
A murmur rippled through the room.
Director Cha Dong-hyuk, overseeing Dojin Frontier’s defense division, immediately countered,
“Hypergolic fuels are extremely toxic and subject to stringent environmental regulations. Plus, there’s the risk of soil and water contamination around the launch site. I understand it’s not easy to use them.”
“Correct.”
Director Kim Se-bin nodded in agreement.
“Due to handling difficulty, toxicity, and environmental concerns, hypergolic fuels are rarely used in civilian launch vehicles. But they have advantages: no need for cryogenic storage, long-term storage capability, and simple re-ignition. Especially, they’re highly reliable for ‘engine re-ignition after atmospheric re-entry.’ We’ve developed ECR technology to maximize these advantages while eliminating the drawbacks.”
The slide advanced.
A 3D cross-section of the
“The ECR inserts a catalytic reaction module between the combustion chamber and nozzle. It processes the incomplete combustion byproducts of UDMH and N₂O₄, particularly nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbon residues, through a high-temperature ceramic filter and a precious metal catalyst layer.”
On the screen, the exhaust gas flow arrows faded as they passed through the filter layer.
“As you can see, this process chemically decomposes the byproducts, and a significant portion can be recycled as fuel.”
This meant that toxic emissions after launch could be reduced by over 99% using the ECR.
I chimed in,
“So, even though we’re using a military-grade propellant, we won’t be labeled a ‘poison gas rocket’?”
Unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) is a chemical used as rocket fuel in countries like North Korea, China, and Russia. Misuse could severely damage the company’s image.
In fact, it was me who provided the ECR technology, allowing Director Kim Se-bin to adopt UDMH without much opposition.
With the toxicity issue resolved, this propellant offered more advantages than any other.
But that wasn’t enough to solve all the problems.
Park Cheol-jin interjected, his expression concerned.
“Getting launch approval won’t be easy. Any suspicion of military use could delay us by years, right?”
“That’s the biggest hurdle right now.”
Director Kim Se-bin’s sigh weighed down the room further.
She tapped the table twice with her finger and continued in a low voice,
“Hypergolic propellants are classified internationally as ‘dual-use items.’ Both the
Director Kim Se-bin advanced the slide.
[Military Use Concerns – Risk Factors]
- Long-term storage capability
- No pre-launch fueling required → immediate launch possible
- No cryogenic equipment needed → compatible with mobile launch platforms
- Historical use in missiles and ICBMs
“What this means is…”
She paused, glanced around, and continued,
“No matter how much we insist it’s for ‘satellite launches,’ overseas authorities will suspect it’s for ‘long-range missile technology.’ Especially since this fuel combination earned the nickname ‘poison gas rocket’ during the Cold War, and some countries still use it in their ICBMs today.”
Seong-hwan frowned.
“So, the approval process isn’t just complicated…?”
Kim Se-bin nodded.
“Yes, to obtain launch approval, we’ll need to prove it’s not for military use and allow international inspectors to observe. That could delay the launch by six months to a year. If we import components from the U.S. or Europe, ITAR reviews could halt supply entirely.”
Director Cha Dong-hyuk crossed his arms and said,
“So, the political and diplomatic issues are even bigger than the technical ones.”
After a moment’s thought, I spoke up.
“Then, we’ll need to address both simultaneously.”
“Both?”
Everyone, including Director Kim Se-bin, turned to me.
“First, we must prove technically that military use is impossible.”
I proposed designing a closed-loop system that recycles 100% of the propellant residue after combustion, in addition to the ECR’s 99% toxin removal.
Since military missiles can’t use such a system, this would be a key differentiator.
Of course, with the ICBM’s advantages intact, conversion to a missile would still be possible if desired.
“And second…”
I pointed to the fuel tank section of the diagram with a laser pointer.
“We need to eliminate any political pretext to restrict us. Let’s frame the launch vehicle development and operation as a fully civilian commercial program and register it as an international joint development project.”
Park Cheol-jin looked doubtful.
“Are you suggesting a joint investment contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) or emerging Southeast Asian space agencies?”
“That would definitely break the military development narrative…”
Director Kim Se-bin supported my idea, acknowledging its potential, but couldn’t hide her concern.
“But that would dilute our stake. That’s not what the CEO wants, is it?”
I shook my head.
“There’s no faster way to clear MTCR and ITAR regulations in our current situation.”
Who wouldn’t want to develop this independently?
But I lacked the power to fully protect my technology.
Unlike other projects, the Luna Link initiative unavoidably required navigating the interests of major powers like the U.S.
Thus, until I gained the strength to safeguard my technology, I had to align closely with the U.S. while proceeding with the project.
‘Of course, only in appearance. I can’t afford to lose actual control.’
…
…
…
The next day,
I posted an update on my feed.
[KTalk Feed] - @Kang Tae-joon | Followers: 127,178,767
Luna Link Global Satellite Network Project Begins
Reusable Launch Vehicle: Leviathan
Propellant: Long-term storage, immediate launch capability with UDMH + N₂O₄ combination
ECR (Enhanced Catalytic Reformer) technology removes over 99% of toxins
Non-military use. For civilian satellite communications and data networks only.
Essential infrastructure for autonomous driving!
News of a Korean company pursuing the Luna Link project, which requires rocket propulsion, went viral, reaching 27 million views in just three hours.
└ Wow… Now they’re even building rockets?
└ And not just any rocket—a reusable one!
└ Is that even possible? Didn’t Spade Z take 10 years to succeed?
└ If Kang Tae-joon says it, he can probably do it.
└ UDMH? That’s toxic. There’ll be issues using it.
└ It’s a chemical widely used in China, Russia, and North Korea.
└ LOL, cancer rates will skyrocket around the manufacturing site.
└ It’s toxic, but they claim to remove over 99% with this ECR thing. Is that true?
└ True or not, if it is, he’s incredible. Taking only the advantages and eliminating the drawbacks.
└ The real challenge will be getting approval from MTCR and ITAR.
└ MTCR requires permission for systems capable of carrying payloads over 300 km and 500 kg, right?
└ Right, and using even one U.S.-made component triggers an ITAR review.
└ A Korean company breaking through this to pursue Luna Link? I think it’s impossible.
└ Autonomous driving requires it, so it has to be done. That’s why Kang Tae-joon stressed it’s not for military use.
Whether my purpose for developing a reusable launch vehicle was important or not, it didn’t matter.
Exactly one week after posting on the feed, a document landed on my desk.
[Launch Prohibition Notice]
It was sent from the Advanced Industrial Policy Division, where Seong-hwan was in charge.