“It seems... you’ve misunderstood my intentions.”
I smiled calmly and eased his guard.
“I didn’t invite you here to steal technology for us, Mr. Rahim. Nor did I invite you here to introduce us to former SpaceX executives. I don’t believe the United States would manage space-related technology that carelessly in the first place.”
“Then why?”
“I want to hear a cold assessment from an expert first. How would you evaluate Korea’s current space technology? No—how much budget would Korea need, roughly, to succeed with a reusable launch vehicle?”
CEO Rahim studied my face carefully.
“Are you asking me for an estimate?”
“Yes. A truly cold one.”
“Goodness. I’m not sure how to put this.”
For a moment, Dr. Kim and CEO Rahim’s eyes met. Dr. Kim gave a slight nod. It meant that even if it was uncomfortable, he wanted to hear it and be evaluated.
“Then I’ll be truly blunt. If Falcon 9 is 100, the fifth Nuri is around 20 to 30 points.”
“May I ask why...?”
“Before coming here, I reviewed the Korean space authorities’ debris investigation results. They concluded that the explosive device malfunctioned because it failed to recognize the landing point. But that’s wrong. Even if central control had continued functioning, the launch vehicle would have burned up before it could land again. The components used in Falcon 9 are made of special materials that can withstand over 4,000 degrees, with overwhelming durability. But could Nuri’s launch vehicle really have endured that temperature?”
“You’re saying it would have exploded even without the explosive device...?”
“Yes. I can say that much with certainty. SpaceX went through the exact same trial and error.”
He turned his head toward Dr. Kim.
“But it doesn’t end there. Dr. Kim. What level is the fifth Nuri’s data feedback at? Its communication link with the control tower.”
“It’s still very insufficient... To be honest, it’s extremely limited.”
“Then that part would be under 20 points. Falcon 9 is constantly optimized. What about launch automation?”
“It’s lacking... Almost none of the technology operates automatically, and most orders are issued directly from the control tower.”
“Then that, too, falls far short of Falcon 9. From what I’m hearing, the guidance control devices and precision aviation systems must be the same. In that case, my cold assessment of the fifth Nuri is...”
We swallowed hard.
“It proved something, I suppose?”
“Proved...?”
“That Korea can make technology like this too. It’s for technological demonstration.”
“...”
“In truth, Falcon 9 and Nuri aren’t in a realm where they can be compared by scores. This is technology from entirely different ‘generations.’ I would dare say it’s like comparing a horse to a tank.”
I cautiously examined Dr. Kim’s face.
He was one of the few authorities on space in the country... Had he been hurt too badly?
But contrary to my concern, he merely continued writing something down with an impassive expression.
“I can’t even give you an estimate. Falcon 9 was completed after failures costing trillions of won in Korean money. And even that ended relatively cheaply because they had a talent pool like NASA, which had sent humans to the moon. To be blunt, Korea’s technological leap will be difficult. That is my honest conclusion.”
“I see.”
I took a sip of water.
I had braced myself to some extent, but being evaluated like this to my face still made my chest ache.
“Then about how much would it take?”
“Pardon?”
“If several trillion won in Korean money isn’t nearly enough, about how much would it take? Twenty trillion? Thirty trillion?”
“You still intend to do it? I think you’ve misunderstood. I was telling you not to waste that much money. SpaceX at least had NASA backing it. When you have neither the infrastructure nor the talent pool, why are you trying to spend meaningless money?”
“It worked.”
“...Pardon?”
“They said the same thing thirty years ago. How could Korea possibly make mobile phones, semiconductors, and electronics better than Japan... But it worked, didn’t it?”
“Team Leader...?”
“Sixty years ago, they asked how Korea could possibly build ships and tanks. Somehow, that worked too.”
In truth, making a reusable launch vehicle with Korea’s current talent pool and infrastructure was undoubtedly a distant dream. But if one thought back sixty or seventy years, it wasn’t so impossible either. Which was easier: for a country suffering through the barley hump to make semiconductors, or for a country capable of making semiconductors to develop space technology?
I set down my teacup.
“Mr. Rahim. I’m not hoping for short-term results. I’m saying this prepared for twenty or thirty years, and twenty or thirty trillion won. What should we start with?”
Did my sincerity get through to him? Or was it the faint madness in my eyes?
Rahim’s stubborn expression collapsed, and at last an answer came.
“If you’re serious... putting aside software, it would be right to develop the hardware first. Until the launch vehicle separates its first stage, it must withstand thermal stress of at least 3,000 degrees. But until now, since there was no intention to reuse the launch vehicle anyway, it was designed to hold out for an appropriate amount of time and then explode appropriately.”
“Then we need to build up durability first?”
“Yes. You need a solid shield so that even under thermal stress of thousands of degrees, the internal components have no issues. Still, considering that Nuri succeeded in first-stage separation, strengthening durability shouldn’t be that difficult a task.”
“The problem is software after all, then?”
He smiled bitterly.
“If we move on to that topic, it gets very complicated. In truth, because Nuri lasted only thirteen seconds before exploding, it’s hard to gauge the current level of Korean technology. However, looking at China’s technology, which is currently second place, they succeeded in flight but failed to recover the booster.”
“Then they’re at a similar level to Korea?”
“Yes. But even so, China has a case where i-Space succeeded in ‘low-altitude vertical landing.’ Personally, I would like Korea to calmly follow a similar process.”
“Low-altitude tests?”
“Yes. You build up a database starting from distances you can manage, then keep increasing the altitude. What matters right now, I believe, is the experience of success. Even if it only flies up 500 meters and comes back, you need one experience of perfect success. From there, you can build up the altitude.”
After his long explanation, I smiled and said to him.
“As expected, hearing an expert’s opinion puts my mind somewhat at ease. Then, Mr. Rahim, would you like to work with us?”
“I thought you would say that... But I think that will be difficult.”
“What would be difficult?”
“I’m embarrassed to say this, but Akash is doing decently enough with subcontracting work from SpaceX and NASA. But if we work with Korea, that means giving up subcontracting from that side... I don’t think I can persuade my employees to accept that.”
I nodded and pushed forward the magical paper that always worked in the world of business.
“Then how about this?”
Rahim looked at the document, then looked at me with a troubled expression.
“It’s blank... What is this?”
*
-Team Leader... no matter what, isn’t a blank check going too far?
-That’s right. He’ll ask for more than the NASA and SpaceX work is worth, and we have no way to procure that money...
After CEO Rahim left.
Our defense industry chairmen spoke in unison with troubled faces.
Fortunately, CEO Rahim had left after giving a positive answer. At first, he had seemed impossible to persuade, but by the end he had withdrawn while saying he would “think seriously about it.”
On the other hand, after he left, the faces of our defense industry chairmen darkened. It was obvious at a glance that an enormous budget would be needed, but who was going to prepare that money, and how?
“That’s right. There’s no suitable way to procure that money.”
-Then instead of doing this, you should run after CEO Rahim right now. Hurry and tell him our calculations were wrong...
“You chairmen will have to provide it.”
-Ye-yes?
Leaving the flustered chairmen behind, I asked Dr. Kim.
“Doctor, what do you think?”
He gauged the mood for a moment, then spoke.
“He is certainly in a different league... I fully agree with CEO Rahim’s words, and there were even parts I learned from.”
“Does he seem like someone we need?”
“From what I heard earlier, it seems Akash handles all the fuel injection systems and durability-related work. It also seems he knows many people involved in automatic control and navigation systems...?”
“Yes. If we hand the project over to them, they’ll probably gather the necessary personnel on their own.”
“Then from my position, there’s no way we don’t need him. Of course, money is the problem...”
No sooner had he finished answering than the chairman of Rotem sprang to his feet.
-Team Leader... It’s not that we don’t understand the necessity. The problem is money.
-There is no way to secure the funds. There really is absolutely no way. Please reconsider.
I looked at the chairmen, whose faces had gone pale.
“Defense stocks have risen a lot recently, haven’t they?”
-...Pardon?
“If stock prices have risen tenfold, twentyfold in two or three years, that’s practically the level of a manipulated stock. I understand it as many investors cheering on the R&D of our defense companies.”
-You can’t be telling us to do a paid-in capital increase, can you? That would be like throwing cold water on the fever while it’s at its hottest...
“That won’t be enough. Sign more weapons contracts with the EU, and please use the profits from them as they are for the space industry. But even that won’t be enough. If necessary, please fund this project even by contributing your personal assets.”
The chairmen turned paler than ever.
Contributing personal assets. Wasn’t that the phrase chaebol heads hated most?
Strangely enough, our corporate heads had an ironclad sense of ownership when defending management rights, but the moment talk of contributing personal assets came up, they were busy backing away. Especially when a company was sinking, they were quicker than anyone to escape the Titanic.
“I’ll say just one thing. Chairman Choi of Asan Automobile contributed a considerable amount of his personal assets for the acquisition funds when acquiring Boston Automatic. Not only did he withstand years of deficits, he also paid for the recently acquired ARG with his own money. But in the end, the reward came.”
-...
“The defense companies’ investment in space will be no different. Please stake everything on the sixth Nuri.”
Amid everyone’s silence, Chairman Nam Sanggi opened his mouth.
“Team Leader, in truth, we at KD have already been preparing since the fifth Nuri ended. Listening to the researchers, it wasn’t going to be a budget of just a few pennies. So we prepared several methods of procuring funds... Even so, I would like you to tell us the upper limit. How far should we be prepared to go?”
I smiled at him with both apology and gratitude.
“Please wait just a little. I’ll try to draw out as much government budget as possible. I’ll also draw out the maximum amount our pension fund can contribute. Let’s talk about the upper limit again then.”