Seoul: South Korea's space agency announced its plans to develop a reusable space launch vehicle by 2035, aiming to keep pace with the evolving global space industry. The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) is modifying its 2.1 trillion-won (US$1.53 billion) project, initially intended as a single-use launch vehicle, into a reusable system, with the objective of acquiring necessary technology within the next decade.

According to Yonhap News Agency, KASA emphasized the importance of early development of reusable launch vehicles due to rapid changes in the global space transportation market, influenced by the success of SpaceX's Falcon 9 and Starship. Park Jae-sung, a director general at KASA, stated that many countries are targeting the development of reusable launch vehicles by around 2030. He noted that if South Korea achieves this by 2035, it can remain competitive. However, failing to meet this timeline could result in high entry barriers, making participation difficult.

Park elaborated that KASA's increased focus on reusable systems and its ongoing review of the next-generation launch vehicle project are integral to this strategic transition. KASA indicated that if the project progresses as planned, the new vehicle could begin to fulfill domestic space transportation demands from 2034.