Perigee Aerospace#Blue Whale 1
{{short description|South Korean aerospace manufacturer}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Perigee Aerospace
| logo = Perigee Aerospace logo.svg
| type = Private
| founded = {{Start date and age|2018}}
| founder =
| hq_location_city = Daejeon
| hq_location_country = South Korea
| website = {{URL|http://perigee.kr}}
| footnotes =
}}
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, initially with the launch of sounding rockets.{{cite web|last=Plouffe|first=Jim|url=https://theleadsouthaustralia.com.au/industries/space/south-korean-rocket-startup-to-launch-from-south-australia/|title=South Korean rocket startup to launch from South Australia|work=The Lead South Australia|date=30 September 2019|access-date=1 June 2021}}
{{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.{{cite web|last=Henry|first=Caleb|url=https://spacenews.com/backed-by-samsung-south-korean-startup-perigee-aims-for-2020-maiden-launch/|title=Backed by Samsung, South Korean startup Perigee aims for 2020 maiden launch|work=SpaceNews|date=23 October 2019|access-date=1 June 2021}}
Vehicles
= Blue Whale 1 =
{{Infobox rocket
| name = Blue Whale 1
| function = Small-lift Orbital launch vehicle
| manufacturer = Perigee Aerospace
| country-origin = South Korea
| cpl = {{US$|3 million}}{{cite web|url=http://perigee.kr/|title=Perigee Aerospace Inc. – Introduction|work=Perigee Aerospace|access-date=2 February 2020}}
| height = {{convert|21|m|abbr=on}}
| diameter = {{convert|1,600|mm|abbr=on}}
| mass = {{convert|2200|kg|abbr=on}}{{cite web|url=https://perigee.space/mission/|title=Mission|publisher=Perigee Aerospace|access-date=16 April 2022}}
| comparable =
| status = In Development
| sites = Jeju Space Center
| launches = No launches yet
| success =
| fail =
| first = 2024
| capacities =
{{Infobox rocket/payload
| location = 500km SSO
| mass = {{convert|170|kg|abbr=on}}}}
{{Infobox rocket/payload
| location = 500km LEO
| mass = {{convert|150|kg|abbr=on}}}}
| stage1SI = 327 s (vacuum)
| stage1time = 210 s
| stage2SI = 355 s (vacuum)
| stage2time = 400 s
|stage1engines=9x Blue 1S|stage2engines=1x Skyblue|stage1thrust=306 KN (vacuum)|stage2thrust=4.3 KN (vacuum)|stages=2}}
The two-stage{{cite web|last=Blenkin|first=Max|url=https://www.spaceconnectonline.com.au/launch/3854-korean-firm-perigee-plans-first-south-australian-rocket-launch|title=Korean firm Perigee plans first South Australian rocket launch|work=Space Connect|date=28 October 2019|access-date=1 June 2021}} Blue Whale 1 is a partially reusable orbital rocket in development.[https://perigee.space/mission/ Perigee Space: Mission] Launching from a sea launch pad in Jeju space center in South Korea,[http://koreabizwire.com/s-korean-startup-to-construct-offshore-rocket-launch-platform-in-jeju/247986 S. Korean Startup to Construct Offshore Rocket Launch Platform in Jeju] 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 orbital maiden flight of Blue Whale 1 was expected to take place in late 2024, preceded by a suborbital test flight scheduled for May 2024.{{cite web |url=https://m.mk.co.kr/news/it/10998084 |title=27세 청년이 만든 스타트업, 민간 우주발사체 국내 첫 발사 ‘카운트다운’ |trans-title=A startup created by a 27-year-old young man launches Korea's first private space launch vehicle, 'Countdown'. |language=korean |date=23 April 2024 |access-date=27 April 2024 |work=Maekyung}} The suborbital launch is now planned for 2025.{{cite web|title='PERIGEE Aerospace' Prepares to Launch South Korea's Commercial Spaceflight Era|author=Si-hyeon Nam|publisher=Dong-A Ilbo|url=https://www.donga.com/en/article/all/20241220/5360161/1|date=20 December 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.{{Cite web|last=StudyAdelaide|title=Perigee Aerospace has signed an agreement to use the Southern Launch rocket facilities in South Australia|url=https://studyadelaide.com/whats-happening/south-korean-rocket-startup-launch-south-australia|access-date=2021-10-05|website=StudyAdelaide}}
According to an interview posted on the website of Expedition College in March 2020, an educational program by Dong-A Science,{{cite web|last=Cho|first=Seung-han|url=http://dongascience.donga.com/news.php?idx=35481|title=탐험대학·시민과학풀씨 참가자 모집|trans-title=Recruitment of participants for the Expedition College Citizen Science Program |work=Dong-A Science|date=27 March 2020|access-date=26 May 2020|language=ko}} Perigee Aerospace was planning to launch a suborbital sounding rocket developed in collaboration with KAIST.{{cite web|url=https://post.naver.com/viewer/postView.nhn?volumeNo=27940052&memberNo=45797895|title=알아두면 쓸모 있는 탐험멘토 Talk 2탄 ⑦ 신동윤 멘토 미니인터뷰!|trans-title=Useful to know Exploration Mentor Talk Part 2 ⑦ Mentor Shin Dong-yoon mini interview!|work=Expedition College|date=8 April 2020|access-date=26 May 2020|language=ko|via=Naver}} 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.{{cite web |last=Lim |first=Chang-won |url=https://www.ajudaily.com/view/20211229180431349 |title=Sudden gust of winds foils launch of sounding rocket built by rocket start-up |work=Aju Business Daily |date=29 December 2021 |access-date=9 January 2022}}
Third flight of Blue Whale 0.1 took place 24 March 2022 from Jeju Island. It was suborbital flight test and it was successful.{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxjmtMso_jg&t=176s |title=Blue Whale 0.1 Review |website=YouTube |access-date=16 April 2022}}
See also
{{Portal|Companies|South Korea|Spaceflight}}
- {{annotated link|Rocket Lab}}
- {{annotated link|Firefly Aerospace}}
- {{annotated link|Virgin Orbit}}
References
External links
- [https://perigee.kr/ Official website Perigee Aerospace]
{{South Korean space program}}
{{Orbital launch systems}}
Category:Private spaceflight companies
Category:Aerospace companies of South Korea
Category:Rocket engine manufacturers of South Korea