Hanwha begins assembly of reusable rocket test vehicle ahead of 2028 flight
Hanwha Aerospace has begun final assembly of a reusable rocket technology demonstrator in a project led by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, with Vitzro Nextech and Hanyang ENG also participating. The company aims to verify vertical take-off, landing and control technologies by 2028, as groundwork for reusing the first stage of South Korea’s next-generation launch vehicle, planned for the mid-2030s.
Bottom line — The 2028 test is intended to support first-stage reuse on South Korea’s next-generation rocket in the mid-2030s.
Go deeper 5
-
The 12.2-metre-tall demonstrator is designed to reach 500 metres in about 90 seconds before landing vertically at a designated site.
-
Hanwha says the project will test engine thrust control, attitude control, and guidance and control.
-
The vehicle will use a single throttleable staged-combustion-cycle turbopump engine.
-
The Korea Aerospace Research Institute leads the project, with Hanwha Aerospace as system integrator.
-
Hanwha says reusable rocket technology is essential to its ambition to become a ‘Korean SpaceX’.