Hanwha Aerospace Begins Assembly of Reusable Rocket Demonstrator

Hanwha Aerospace announced that it has commenced full assembly of a reusable-rocket technology demonstrator, marking progress toward a vertically landing launch vehicle similar to SpaceX's Falcon 9. The 12.2-metre tall, 1.5-metre wide vehicle will house a staged-combustion cycle turbopump engine and is part of a KARI-led programme that includes Vitzro Nextech and Hanyang ENG. The demonstrator is slated for a 2028 flight test that will lift vertically to about 500 metres in roughly 90 seconds before executing a controlled landing, testing engine thrust control, attitude control and guidance systems. Hanwha says mastering these technologies will cut launch costs and support reuse of the first stage of Korea's next-generation launch vehicle planned for the mid-2030s. The effort is intended to boost domestic space-transport capability and accelerate the country's private-sector space ecosystem, with the company aspiring to become a "Korean SpaceX."