South Korea is developing a next-generation reusable launch vehicle to succeed its current Nuri launch vehicle. On December 22, the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) announced that the Fiscal Project Evaluation Committee had approved the plan for the project’s early reusability modification. This approval allows the launch vehicle to be developed with reusable technology, similar to SpaceX’s Falcon 9, which can recover and reuse the first stage of its rockets.
The new vehicle will be methane-based and is designed to be reused multiple times, reducing launch costs. The total cost of the project is 2.292 trillion won, an increase of about 278.85 billion won from the original estimate. South Korea aims to use this vehicle to send a lunar lander to the moon by 2032.
To achieve this, test launches are planned for late 2031, with additional launches scheduled for 2032. The first stage engine will also undergo tests for the reusable vehicle.
The goal is to significantly reduce launch costs. The space agency aims to achieve a cost of 3.5 million won per kilogram within 10 years, which is much lower than the current cost of 35 million won per kilogram for Nuri. In comparison, SpaceX’s cost ranges between 2.9 million and 5.8 million won per kilogram. This project is a major step forward in South Korea's space exploration capabilities.