KARI - Korea Aerospace Research institute

The United States and Russia have possessed launch vehicle technology since the 1950s. Subsequently, Europe, Japan, China, India, and others have also secured launch vehicle capabilities, enabling satellite and space probe launches, as well as cargo transportation. Until recently, all satellites developed in Korea had to rely on foreign launch vehicles due to the country’s delayed entry into launch vehicle research and the lack of indigenous launch capability.
Strict international restrictions on technology transfer make it extremely challenging to develop indigenous launch vehicle technologies, requiring substantial time, investment, and technical effort and often involving considerable trial and error before achieving core capabilities. The recent emergence of innovative reusable launch vehicles by the U.S. private space company SpaceX has prompted Europe, Japan, and other nations to pursue the development of cost-effective and highly efficient launch systems.
Meanwhile, startups around the world are developing small launch vehicles capable of deploying microsatellites. With a growing number of spacefaring nations and the increasing demand for small satellites, the global commercial launch vehicle market is expected to continue expanding.
Through the development of the first-stage solid-propellant sounding rocket (KSR-I, 1993), the two-stage solid-propellant medium-sized sounding rocket (KSR-II, 1998), and Korea’s first liquid-propellant rocket (KSR-III, 2002), the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) has built its capabilities in rocket design and manufacturing. Subsequently, through international collaboration with Russia, KARI developed Naro-1, a two-stage launch vehicle equipped with a first-stage liquid engine and a second-stage solid engine, successfully launched in 2013, thereby securing key launch vehicle technologies and operational experience. Building on this foundation, KARI successfully developed the three-stage Korean launch vehicle, NURI, capable of launching a 1.5-ton-class practical satellite into a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of approximately 600–800 km. KARI plans to enhance NURI’s reliability through a series of launches by 2027 and promote the transfer of launch vehicle technologies to the private sector.
Furthermore, to meet national space development needs, such as space exploration, and to secure autonomous exploration capabilities, KARI launched the Next-Generation Launch Vehicle Development Project in July 2023.