Very interesting to see the roadmap from the single engine, then 2, then 4, then 9. I think they have been paying attention to another successful entrant into the global launch market. They are working on a M1-D class G.G engine and similar engine configurations further down their roadmap. The KSLV IV looks pretty darn close to the SpaceX FH, and if I interpreted the figures right, they say it will get 64t to LEO. I also think I am seeing a 4.4m core & 47m tall vehicle called out in the picture. So its a bit more squatty than FH. They also look to be trying to gain some staging efficiency with the 3 stage configuration. I'd be interested in the mass fractions they are projecting for the various stages of the KSLV-IV.
On the country's plans to send a unmanned probe to the moon, KARI said that the program involves a locally built probe being sent to the Moon on a foreign-made rocket in 2018. It said the moon mission and the KSLV-2 are not linked at present.
South Korea's science ministry said Wednesday it plans to launch a lunar exploration project next year, eventually seeking to send a landing vessel by 2020.Under the first stage of the project that will run from 2016 to 2018, the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning will allocate 197.8 billion won (US$169 million) to conduct research and send an orbiter.The ministry said it has already secured a 20 billion-won budget for 2016.
South Korea will spend a total of 746.4 billion won ($603 million) on its space program this year, as part of efforts to realize its long-cherished goal of reaching the moon.The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning said Sunday that it has also agreed with relevant ministries to allocate 200 billion won for the next three years to launch its first lunar exploration
As part of the national space promotion plan and presidential national agen-das, South Korea’s institutes and agencies under the auspices of the Ministry of Science, Information and Communication Technology and Future Planning (MSIP) are currently working on a phase-A study for a Korean Lunar Exploration Program (KLEP) [1]. A Korean pathfinder lunar orbiter (KPLO) is to be fol-lowed by a Korean Lunar Explorer (KLE) which con-stitutes an orbiter and a lander unit equipped with a small rover with a mass of approximately 20 kgKPLO’s main scientific return is considered to be composed of visual and spectral image data, space environmental measurements and data related to lunar resources. For the exploration of lunar resources two major exploration areas need to be considered: (1) resources in polar regions for the potential establish-ment of lunar bases or (2) future energy resources such as Helium-3 and precious rare earth elements along with radioactive resources like Uranium. KPLO is planned to operate in a circular polar orbit at an orbit altitude of 100 km. Its size will be 1.9 x 1.7 x 2.3 (m) with a dry mass of 550 kg. The total science payload mass will amount to approximately 40 kg with instru-ments contributed by the Korean Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) and other Korean research institutes and centers, as well as NASA. The development peri-ods for KPLO and KLE are considered to be 2016–2018 and 2017–2020, respectively [1].
Some recent news on this. Maybe more appropriately belonging here : https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=33272.0Yonhap News 2016/01/31 QuoteOn the country's plans to send a unmanned probe to the moon, KARI said that the program involves a locally built probe being sent to the Moon on a foreign-made rocket in 2018. It said the moon mission and the KSLV-2 are not linked at present.Yonhap News 2015/12/30 QuoteSouth Korea's science ministry said Wednesday it plans to launch a lunar exploration project next year, eventually seeking to send a landing vessel by 2020.Under the first stage of the project that will run from 2016 to 2018, the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning will allocate 197.8 billion won (US$169 million) to conduct research and send an orbiter.The ministry said it has already secured a 20 billion-won budget for 2016.Korea Herald, 2016-02-28 QuoteSouth Korea will spend a total of 746.4 billion won ($603 million) on its space program this year, as part of efforts to realize its long-cherished goal of reaching the moon.The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning said Sunday that it has also agreed with relevant ministries to allocate 200 billion won for the next three years to launch its first lunar explorationLPSC2016, MarchQuoteAs part of the national space promotion plan and presidential national agen-das, South Korea’s institutes and agencies under the auspices of the Ministry of Science, Information and Communication Technology and Future Planning (MSIP) are currently working on a phase-A study for a Korean Lunar Exploration Program (KLEP) [1]. A Korean pathfinder lunar orbiter (KPLO) is to be fol-lowed by a Korean Lunar Explorer (KLE) which con-stitutes an orbiter and a lander unit equipped with a small rover with a mass of approximately 20 kgKPLO’s main scientific return is considered to be composed of visual and spectral image data, space environmental measurements and data related to lunar resources. For the exploration of lunar resources two major exploration areas need to be considered: (1) resources in polar regions for the potential establish-ment of lunar bases or (2) future energy resources such as Helium-3 and precious rare earth elements along with radioactive resources like Uranium. KPLO is planned to operate in a circular polar orbit at an orbit altitude of 100 km. Its size will be 1.9 x 1.7 x 2.3 (m) with a dry mass of 550 kg. The total science payload mass will amount to approximately 40 kg with instru-ments contributed by the Korean Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) and other Korean research institutes and centers, as well as NASA. The development peri-ods for KPLO and KLE are considered to be 2016–2018 and 2017–2020, respectively [1].Also, one more 2015 poster:http://nesf2015.arc.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/downloads/pdf/10.pdfFrom this it seems that the orbiter project for 2018 is definitely funded and going seriously ahead in 2016. It also seems to have an official KPLO name now. The timeline of course is ambitious, as it seems to involve indigenous ground tracking infrastructure build-out etc, plus a launch on foreign launch vehicle.
IIRC wasn't it supposed to be LADEE-based since I remember KARI has an agreement with NASA signed in the past?
2. Does it include direct technology transfer related to the development of a launch vehicle and lunar exploration?This agreement comprehensively stipulates the content of and procedure for cooperation on projects, but technology transfer is neither a prerequisite nor the purpose of the agreement
EDIT2: Further guess. The spacecraft will be based on KOMPSAT, the payload masses seem similar:https://directory.eoportal.org/web/eoportal/satellite-missions/k/kompsat-5
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) Advanced Explorations Systems (AES) Division anticipates making opportunities available for a limited number of instruments to be Ride Share Payloads on the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO).Supported by their National Policy plan, the Republic of South Korea, through the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), has created a goal to robotically explore the moon and has established a lunar program called Korea Lunar Exploration Program (KLEP). KARI intends on launching KPLO followed by a lunar lander including a lunar surface rover, and another orbiter by 2020. The first mission would be the launch of the KPLO in December 2018 on a technology demonstration and science mission into lunar orbit. KARI is in partnership with NASA to provide ride share for NASA-sponsored payloads on the KPLO mission...
KPLO is the first mission of the Korean lunar exploration program. The mission objectives of the KPLO are 1) development of key technologies for lunar exploration, 2) scientific investigation of the Moon and lunar environment, and 3) realization and validation of new space technology. The mission concept of operations of KPLO is the key system-level design to provide various mission concepts, spacecraft description, instruments overview, and preliminary operations concepts for the KPLO mission. In this research, the operation concepts of recent foreign lunar orbiters are explained briefly. And then, System architecture, instruments overview, trajectory overview, and mission phases overview of KPLO are described compared to the foreign lunar missions. Each mission phase include operational concepts of KPLO. Mission concept of operations of KPLO is not defined yet, but it will be updated and matured concurrently with the system design.
SEOUL, Dec. 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's planned test-launch of its homegrown engine for a space rocket was delayed by 10 months to late 2018, because more time is needed to address some technical glitches, officials said Thursday.The delay was formally endorsed at a meeting of space-related officials earlier in the day, said the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning.South Korea had previously planned to test-launch the 75-ton engine in December next year, but the test is now expected to be launched in October 2018, ministry officials said.As part of a long-term project to produce an indigenous three-stage KSLV-2 rocket, the government had pushed for the development of a two-stage test rocket by the end of 2017. But, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute said in a report earlier this year that it will have to delay the test-launch by about 10 months, citing a problem in the combustion of the engine and more trouble in the welding of a fuel tank. South Korea aims to launch a moon orbiter as early as 2020."If a test-launch of the 75-ton engine fails or technical problems are found, it will take more time to build the three-stage KSLV-2 rocket," said Bae Tae-min, a senior official at the ministry's large-scale public research policy division.Bae indicated that the timeframe for developing a homegrown space rocket could be affected, depending on the result of the test-launch.
S. Korea to develop reusable space launch vehicle
South Korea will push forward with an ambitious plan to develop a reusable space launch vehicle as the country strives to become a global powerhouse in the aerospace industry, the chief of the country's aerospace institute said Wednesday.Recently, SpaceX, spearheaded by millionaire Elon Musk, successfully launched and landed the partially reusable rockets.Up until now, practically all orbital rockets were disposable, meaning the rockets were thrown away after being launched into space."Rockets are reused in cases like SpaceX," Lim Cheol-ho, director of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), told reporters in Seoul. "KARI is currently in the process of mapping out a basic plan for a similar rocket."
New reusable launch vehicle:
(China and India) are actually at a disadvantage regarding reuse. The engine is too big (unless they want to create a mega rocket) and doesn't have the ability to throttle enough or do multiple air restarts that you want for reuse.China and India especially are now in the delicate position of just having spent a huge amount of resources making rocket systems around these engines and now having to rework or redo them for reuse.
Neither china nor india have any intention of reworking their rockets powered by ORSC technology. Both china and india will only use their ORSC based engines on heavy lift vehicles such as the Long March 5 and GSLV MK-3. Vehicles of this class have very low launch frequency and have very niche payloads so reusability really does not make sense.
Besides the chinese and indian space programs are not as commercialised as western space programs. The vast majority of payloads that fly on Indian/Chinese rockets are property of their respective governments.
With Long March 8, they are looking at experimenting with reuse by keeping the side boosters still attached on landing to increase the weight since they can't throttle down enough.
QuoteWith Long March 8, they are looking at experimenting with reuse by keeping the side boosters still attached on landing to increase the weight since they can't throttle down enough. A lot of countries are experimenting with reusability technology but few are adopting it. India also has a VVTL demonstrator in the works while europe has adeline. Point being that VVTL reusability is far from proven at this point so one can not really say what the future of reusability looks like.