Korean Air and Hyundai Rotem join forces to develop reusable methane rocket engine

: Dec 4, 2025 - : 12:58 am

South Korea has begun work on a next-generation 35-ton-class reusable methane rocket engine, with Korean Air and Hyundai Rotem leading a multi-year development effort intended to strengthen the country’s space-defence capabilities and support its fast-growing commercial space sector. The joint...

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The joint initiative was formally launched in Daejeon at a gathering attended by more than 70 representatives from government agencies, industry partners and academic institutions. The project, backed by a KRW 49 billion budget and running through to October 2030, is being overseen by the Korea Research Institute for Defence Technology Planning and Advancement (KRIT).

While South Korea has steadily expanded its launch-vehicle expertise in recent years, the shift to methane propulsion marks a decisive step towards reusable, cleaner and more efficient systems, placing the country in line with global trends shaped by the likes of SpaceX and Blue Origin.

Methane propulsion emerges as the foundation for South Korea’s next generation of reusable launch vehicles

The programme centres on a single aim: developing a high-performance methane rocket engine that can withstand repeated operation. Unlike kerosene, methane burns far more cleanly, significantly reducing soot accumulation inside nozzles and turbomachinery, one of the main barriers to engine reuse.

Global aerospace firms have already committed to methane propulsion for that reason. South Korea’s decision to invest in the technology marks an evolution from its earlier kerosene-based systems and reflects an ambition to reduce the technical and cost barriers associated with space access.

Participants at the project kick-off meeting included representatives from the Ministry of National Defence, the Defence Acquisition Programme Administration (DAPA), KRIT, and the country’s main industry and academic partners: Doosan Enerbility, Perigee Aerospace, the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, Seoul National University, Kookmin University and Pusan National University.

The agenda focused on system requirements, validation procedures, and risk-management measures necessary to field a working demonstrator within the project timeline.

Korean Air takes responsibility for the turbopump

Korean Air will lead the development of the engine’s turbopump, often described by propulsion engineers as the heart of the entire system. The turbopump must drive liquid methane and oxidiser at extreme pressures and at rotational speeds of tens of thousands of revolutions per minute.

Designing such a system demands mastery of a wide thermal range—from cryogenic temperatures around –180°C to several hundred degrees during operation—while ensuring stability, durability and efficiency under repeated stress cycles.

Kyungnam Kim, Head of Korean Air’s Aerospace R&D Center, said the company is drawing on years of aeronautical and propulsion engineering experience to build a turbopump optimised for methane performance. He emphasised that the project will contribute directly to strengthening South Korea’s space-industry ecosystem and future launch-vehicle needs, including the deployment of military satellites.

A national push to build a defence-space industrial base

KRIT President Jae Hong Son described methane-engine

development as a pivotal step toward reinforcing Korea’s space-defence posture. He noted that KRIT intends to support the programme by establishing a responsive research framework and nurturing an industrial ecosystem able to sustain future military and commercial requirements.

The collaboration reflects the broader shift within South Korea toward integrating defence priorities with the commercial “New Space” sector. After a decade of steady investment in launch capabilities and satellite development, the government is now positioning domestic firms to contribute to reusable propulsion technologies that lower long-term costs and enhance strategic autonomy.

Building a future launch capability for both defence and commercial markets

The reusable methane engine project is expected to serve multiple roles. For military planners, it supports ambitions to deploy responsive satellite-launch systems that can operate under tight timelines. For industry, the technology aligns with emerging commercial trends in Earth-observation, satellite-constellation deployment and low-cost launch services across Asia.

By bringing together aerospace manufacturers, automotive specialists, energy-sector partners and a group of leading universities, the initiative represents one of the most technically diverse aerospace collaborations assembled in South Korea to date.

As development progresses towards 2030, the programme is expected to define new engineering benchmarks for domestic propulsion technology and help position Korea as a credible player in the global market for reusable launch-vehicle systems.