South Korea has begun full assembly of a 12.2-meter-tall, 1.5-meter-diameter reusable launch vehicle demonstrator designed to test vertical takeoff and landing technologies. Hanwha Aerospace said it is working under the Korea Aerospace Research Institute’s leadership with Vitzro Nextech and Hanyang ENG. The vehicle will carry one staged-combustion cycle turbopump engine and is expected to rise to 500 meters in about 90 seconds before making a controlled vertical landing during planned 2028 testing. The project is intended to support reuse of the first stage of South Korea’s next-generation launch vehicle, planned for development in the mid-2030s, while building capabilities for entry into the global space transportation services market.