Korea to Surpass SpaceX Within 10 Years... Developing 'Next-Generation Launch Vehicle' for Mars Exploration

Ministry of Science and ICT Launches Preliminary Feasibility Study for Next-Generation Launch Vehicle
Investing 1.93 Trillion KRW to Develop a Launch Vehicle Surpassing Falcon 9 by 2030
High-Performance Capable of Sending 1 Ton to Mars, Applying Advanced Technologies Like Multi-Ignition Engines and Thrust Control for Reusability

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] The government has set an ambition to surpass SpaceX's cutting-edge Falcon 9 rocket launch vehicle within 10 years. Following Nuriho, it is considering developing a next-generation launch vehicle capable of reaching lunar orbit by investing approximately 2 trillion won.

The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on the 9th that it selected the next-generation launch vehicle development project as a preliminary feasibility study (PFS) target in April and has been conducting a full-scale investigation since this month. From 2023 to 2031, over nine years, 1.933 trillion won will be invested to develop a high-performance next-generation launch vehicle capable of carrying a lunar lander by 2030. This will enable independent space exploration not only of Earth orbit satellites but also of the Moon and Mars.

Comparison of Nuriho-Next Generation Launch Vehicle Configurations

Nuriho - Next-Generation Launch Vehicle Performance Comparison.

Specifically, Nuriho has a payload capacity of 1.5 tons and can reach an orbit height of around 600 km. In contrast, the next-generation launch vehicle is designed to carry 10 tons to low Earth orbit for space tourism and satellite launches, 7 tons to geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) at about 35,000 km altitude, 1.8 tons to lunar orbit for lunar exploration and landers, and about 1 ton to Mars. The first stage will upgrade Nuriho’s current 75-ton class liquid engine to a 100-ton class staged combustion cycle engine, using five engines bundled together. The second stage will consist of two 10-ton class staged combustion cycle liquid engines. Advanced technologies such as multiple ignition and thrust control will also be developed and applied to enable reusability.

Kwon Hyun-jun, Director of the Large Public Research Policy Division at the Ministry of Science and ICT, said, "The significance lies in South Korea securing full-fledged space exploration capabilities through the development of the next-generation launch vehicle." He added, "As the first launch vehicle development project involving private sector participation from the design stage, this project is expected to play a major role in enhancing the private sector’s launch vehicle development capabilities."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.