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S. Korea to begin 2nd stage of space rocket development

July 30, 2015
South Korea's previous space rocket, the Korea Space Launch Vehicle (KSLV) was the predecessor to the the newest project, the KSLV-2. (Yonhap)

South Korea’s previous space rocket, the Korea Space Launch Vehicle (KSLV) was the predecessor to the the newest project, the KSLV-II. (Yonhap)

SEJONG, July 30 (Yonhap) — South Korea will soon enter the second stage of its program to develop the country’s own space vehicle by 2021, the government said Thursday.

The second, three-year stage of the rocket development plan will begin at the start of next month, in which the country will develop a 75-ton thrust engine, according to the Ministry of Science, ICT and Technology.

Following a successful development of a 75-ton thruster, the country will build a 300-ton booster, using four 75-ton thrust engines, which will be capable of sending a 1.5-ton satellite into space.

The 300-ton space rocket, named the Korea Space Launch Vehicle 2 (KSLV-II), will be test-fired during the third and final stage of the space program that will commence in April 2018.

The first stage of the 1.96 trillion-won (US$1.68 billion) program began in March 2010, in which the country successfully built and test-fired a 7-ton thrust engine, the ministry said.

“We have achieved our main objectives of developing a 7-ton liquid engine and building an engine test facility under the first development stage, and we can now enter the second stage of the program to develop a 75-ton engine system and build a test launch vehicle,” it said in a press release.

The country launched a Russian-made space rocket, the KSLV-I, in January 2013, becoming the world’s 13th nation ever to have successfully sent a rocket into space from its own soil.

The KSLV-II is set to be test-fired in 2019, followed by an official launch in 2021.