South Korean Spaceflight

Anybody know what this is? I've seen, "space launcher" but it doesn't look like any launch vehicle I've ever seen. Almost looks like a toy with those big fixed fins. Test vehicle?

 
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Having a little camera under the water looking up at that exhaust would be cool. A first.
 
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea has signed a contract with SpaceX to launch five spy satellites by 2025, with the first launch on a Falcon 9 rocket by the end of 2023.

A spokeswoman for the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) confirmed the deal April 11, saying the 2023 launch would deliver an 800-kilogram electro-optical infrared satellite to low Earth orbit.

“The deal was made to launch five satellites involved in the ‘425 project,’” DAPA spokeswoman Park Geun-young told SpaceNews, referring to a space-based reconnaissance project the defense ministry launched in 2018 for closer monitoring of North Korea’s military activities. Under the project, five satellites — four synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites and one featuring an electro-optical infrared (EO/IR) telescope — will be launched to low Earth orbit between 600 and 700 km by 2025, enabling South Korea’s military to observe the nuclear-armed neighbor’s key military facilities every two hours with 30-50 centimeters resolution imagery, according to a 2019 report produced by the Korea Institute of S&T Evaluation and Planning. The spokeswoman declined to share the terms and conditions of the deal, as well as launch schedules for the other four satellites.
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https://spacenews.com/south-korea-hires-spacex-to-launch-five-spy-satellites-by-2025/
 
South Korean company INNOSPACE has unveiled its Hanbit-TLV "한빛-TLV" rocket which is in the testing phase before being shipped to Brazil for launch later this year. The rocket has a height of 16.3 meters and an engine thrust of 15 tons.
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https://n.news.naver.com/article/018/0005228341
Some $70 million is budgeted for work on the Korean Positioning System, a constellation of eight navigation satellites South Korea aims to deploy between 2027 and 2034. Satellite production is expected to begin in 2024 after completing work this year on core navigation technology.
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https://spacenews.com/south-koreas-double-digit-space-budget-boost/
 
https://twitter.com/x/status/1539420820019232770
View: https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1539420820019232770


Reconstructing the trajectory of South Korea's Nuri launch this morning, it appears the first and second stags flew on a 170 deg azimuth path towards a ~72 deg inclination orbit, and then the third stage yawed to change direction to the final 98 deg sun-sync orbit
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https://twitter.com/x/status/1539421526096748546
View: https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1539421526096748546


If they had instead flown directly towards a 98 deg orbit, lower stages might have impacted near Taiwan and the Phillipines, which is presumably why this less energy-efficient approach was taken.
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South Korea develops methane engine for reusable 'Korean Starship' [Sep 10]

According to the space industry, a consortium led by Hyundai Rotem and Korean Air was selected on the 9th as the preferred negotiator for a 35-ton methane engine technology development project overseen by the Defense Technology Promotion Institute (DTPI) under the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. A formal agreement will be signed in November, marking the start of full-scale research and development (R&D). The project, budgeted at approximately 49.1 billion Korean won, will run until 2030.

The project is titled “Methane Engine Technology for Ground-Based Reusable Space Launch Vehicles.” It aims to develop a methane engine for reusable launch vehicles that can be used multiple times, unlike single-use “expendable” launchers. SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, which developed the first reusable launch vehicle “Falcon 9,” has virtually monopolized the global space market. Securing reusable technology is deemed essential for the space economy era. The R&D project’s goal is to develop methane engine technology capable of reaching 500 km above Earth and reusable technology. Key components include a “turbo pump” that compresses liquid methane fuel and oxidizer at high pressure and speed, and a “combustor” that generates thrust.”
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Publication of the "Private Enterprise Naro Space Center Usage Guide" [Oct 31]

The guide outlines key facilities, equipment, and services available to private companies, along with basic technical requirements and usage procedures for each item. Notably, even after the relocation of the dedicated private launch site, scheduled for construction in 2027, the guide will allow the use of docking facilities and idle sites currently under construction at the Naro Space Center as launch sites.

Furthermore, a pre-consultation procedure has been specified to allow private companies to review the feasibility of launches within the space center in advance. Furthermore, detailed standards and specific consultation matters required during actual use will be continuously supplemented and refined by incorporating feedback from the private sector.

The guide outlines a four-step process for private companies using the space center: pre-consultation, review and approval, launch operations, and post-launch measures. Private companies wishing to use the space center must first undergo pre-consultation and a consistency review with the space center, followed by a technical safety review to confirm suitability for use. Once approved, private companies must finalize all terms and conditions, including payment of usage fees and insurance, before signing a contract, officially launching launch vehicles using the Naro Space Center facilities.
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The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) held a meeting with the space exploration mobility industry. [Nov 11]

The space agency's key plans for lunar and Martian exploration include launching a lunar lander in 2032, establishing a lunar economic base in the 2040s, and launching a Mars lander in 2045. The space agency plans to steadily strengthen the space exploration capabilities of domestic companies, not only through Korean landers but also through international cooperation, securing opportunities to verify and utilize domestically developed mobility systems.
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Korean Air joining hands with Hyundai Rotem [Dec 3]

Korean Air announced on Dec. 3 that it and Hyundai Rotem have launched a joint program to develop a reusable 35-ton-class methane rocket engine, a core technology for next-generation space launch vehicles.

[...]

“We are mobilizing our aerospace expertise to develop a high-performance, highly reliable turbopump optimized for methane engines,” Korean Air’s Aerospace research center chief Kim Kyung-nam said.
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KRIT: Announcement of the 4th batch of companies selected for the 2025 "Defense Industry Innovation 100"
 
KASA secures 1.12 trillion won budget to boost Korea space and aviation capabilities
https://biz.chosun.com/en/en-science/2025/12/03/D6DZPCGVZ5GCRE43N23XTKGQGM/
South Korea aims for Mars by upgrading its Nuri launch vehicle [Dec 16]

He added, "After developing a kick stage, we will integrate it with Nuri to launch a Mars orbiter by 2033 to demonstrate the technology."

[...]

He explained, "Using Nuri for a 300km LEO mission allows it to carry a payload of about 3.3 tons. By adding a kick stage, we can send a payload of about 40-50 kg to Mars orbit."

KASA announced that after demonstrating the Mars orbiter with Nuri, it will launch another Mars orbiter using the Next Generation Launch Vehicle equipped with the same kick stage. Subsequently, the agency plans to launch a Mars lander in 2045 using the Next Generation Launch Vehicle with an improved engine and an upgraded kick stage.

[...]

KASA is currently in discussions with SpaceX to purchase a launch service on its 'Starship' in 2030-2031 to demonstrate payload technology for Mars exploration.
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KASA: Reference materials for the Space Science Exploration Brown Bag Meeting [Dec 16, translated]

Press Release 1. Brown Bag Meeting Presentation Materials
Press Release 2. Space Science Exploration Roadmap
Press Release 3. South Korea's Mars Exploration Strategy
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Hanwha Aerospace Linkedin [Dec 29]

Hanwha Aerospace has signed a KRW 103B agreement [~$71.8 Million] with the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) to develop, assemble, and test key components of the propulsion system for Korea’s lunar lander planned for launch in 2032, including the landing engine and attitude control thrusters.

Building on more than three decades of propulsion heritage across national space programs, we will apply high-precision thrust control and reliable propellant management capabilities—including MMH/NTO-based bipropellant technologies—to support Korea’s sovereign space capabilities, strengthen the domestic space industrial ecosystem, and create a foundation for future deep-space exploration missions.
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Here's a SciNews video about this latest KSLV-II launch:


The fifth Nuri launch vehicle (Nuri 5/ 누리호5) launched 15 satellites (NeonSat-2 to 6 and 10 CubeSats) into a Sun-synchronous orbit, from the Naro Space Center, South Korea, on 7 October 2026, at 03:25 UTC 12:25 local time). Nuri (누리호), also known as KSLV-II (Korea Space Launch Vehicle-2) is a three-stage liquid-propellant launch vehicle developed by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) to “directly put a 1.5-ton application satellite into a 600-800 km Sun-synchronous orbit”.​

Credit: Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI)
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