Seoul, June 20
South Korea's space agency said on Friday it plans to develop a reusable space launch vehicle by 2035 in a bid to keep pace with the rapidly shifting landscape of the global space industry.
The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) has been working to modify its 2.1 trillion-won (US$1.53 billion) project for a next-generation rocket, originally designed as a single-use launch vehicle, into a reusable system, with the goal of acquiring the necessary technology within the next decade, reports news agency.
The agency stressed that early development of reusable launch vehicles is crucial amid rapid changes in the global space transportation market, driven by the success of SpaceX's Falcon 9 and Starship.
"All countries are developing reusable launch vehicles by around 2030. If we develop ours by 2035, we can still compete," Park Jae-sung, a director general at KASA, told reporters. "If we miss the timing, the entry barrier will be too high, and we will be out of the game."
He explained that KASA's growing focus on reusable systems and its ongoing review of the next-generation launch vehicle project are part of this strategic shift.