Hanwha Aerospace selected as next-gen launcher operator

South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace Co. announced on Wednesday that it was selected as the next-generation launch vehicle KSLV-III operator, following the KSLV-II Nuri rocket.

The company will join the government-issued project Total Manufacturing of the Next-Generation Launch Vehicle Development and develop KSLV-III with the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI).

This project aims to develop a new launch vehicle capable of carrying major payloads such as lunar landers to space.

It signifies the involvement of a private company, from design to launch and operation, in partnership with KARI.

The next-generation launch vehicle will be developed with improved performance compared to Nuri to launch large satellites and space exploration.

The vehicle is expected to conduct a total of three launches to deploy a lunar lander by the year 2032.

The company plans to use the technology and experience gained from this project to establish a foundation for a private-led space industry ecosystem and enter the global launch service market.

Write to Sang Hoon Sung at uphoon@hankyung.com