South Korea Greenlights $1.6B Project for Reusable Methane Rocket, Targeting 2034 Completion

South Korea's government has officially approved a 2.3 trillion-won (US$1.6 billion) project to develop a reusable space launch vehicle powered by a methane engine, targeting completion by 2034. The country's space agency, KASA, announced Monday that the plan was sanctioned by a government funding assessment committee.

At the core of the project is the development of a single 80-ton-thrust methane engine designed to power both the first and second stages of the next-generation rocket. According to the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), this marks a strategic shift from an earlier plan that involved developing two different types of engines, signaling a push for greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness in the design.

The immediate goal is to support South Korea's planned lunar lander mission in 2032. The rocket will initially be used as a single-use launch vehicle for that mission, before the fully reusable system is expected to be completed two years later. KASA said the project's ultimate aim is to develop a competitive reusable launch vehicle in stages.

What's a Hopping Test?A low-altitude, vertical takeoff and vertical landing (VTVL) flight test. It's a critical step to validate the complex guidance and engine-throttling systems that allow a reusable rocket stage to fly back and land precisely on its own.

The development timeline includes a test firing of the engine scheduled for the end of 2031, followed by a crucial hopping test the following year. "The approval will help us implement the government's ambition for technology-led growth," said Yoon Young-bin, head of KASA. He added that the project, along with the lunar lander, "will open a new era of low-cost, reusable space launch vehicles."