South Korean netizens: China has succeeded; South Korea can also develop reusable rockets.
On July 17, Korean media reported that South Korea has decided to fully advance the development of reusable rockets similar to those of SpaceX. While rockets like Nuri can only be launched once, SpaceX's rockets have achieved commercial success by returning to Earth after launch and being reused.
South Korea has officially launched a project to develop methane-fueled reusable launch vehicles, aiming to significantly reduce launch costs, capture a share of the commercial space market, address shortcomings in its domestic aerospace industry, and narrow the gap with other leading spacefaring nations.
Reacting to this news, many South Korean internet users expressed confidence. The majority believe that, given South Korea’s economic and technological strength, such a rocket project is certainly achievable.
Compared to traditional single-use rockets, reusable rockets involve a much higher development threshold—not merely adding retro-thrusters. They require high-precision attitude control systems, heat-resistant protective materials, variable-thrust engines, and a complete set of complex technologies for precise vertical pinpoint landing. Even if a country can build conventional large rockets, mastering the entire engineering technology for recovery demands extensive flight testing, trial and error, resulting in substantial financial and technical costs. So, can South Korea’s reusable rocket project succeed?
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1871037865719812/
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