SpaceX’s Starship (Image from SpaceX)
SEOUL, Dec. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s national space agency said Tuesday it is exploring the use of SpaceX’s next-generation Starship rocket to launch the country’s first Mars payload as early as 2030, part of a broader strategy to accelerate its participation in international deep-space exploration.
At a briefing in Seoul, the Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA) said it is preparing a preliminary feasibility study for a Mars mission demonstration project built around international cooperation.
The agency is considering securing space on a Starship launch between October 2030 and April 2031, the next optimal Earth-Mars transfer window, to send a 500-kilogram payload roughly the size of a small cargo container.
“With Starship, we’ve inquired about the space needed and received initial feedback,” said Kang Kyung-in, head of space science and exploration at KASA. “We are preparing the budget so industry and research groups can test technologies on the Martian surface in advance.”
KASA said it aims to contribute to global human-exploration efforts by supporting technologies such as in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), including regolith-based construction methods where Korean firms have competitive strengths.
The agency also emphasized cost advantages, noting that flying aboard Starship would be “significantly cheaper” than relying on conventional launch vehicles.
The Mars initiative is part of a wider long-term roadmap. KASA announced plans to upgrade the capabilities of Nuri, South Korea’s domestic rocket, by adding a kick-stage to enable a 50-kilogram Mars orbiter demonstration by 2035 and a Mars lander mission by 2045.
This photo provided by the Sacheon city government shows the Korea AeroSpace Administration’s headquarters in Sacheon, about 300 kilometers south of Seoul. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
The agency will also invest 47.5 billion won over five years to test orbital transport vehicles and in-space manufacturing technologies at 300 kilometers altitude beginning in 2030.
KASA is simultaneously advancing its lunar exploration program, saying that with Nuri’s 3.3-ton payload capacity to low-Earth orbit, a kick-stage transport system could deliver up to 800 kilograms to lunar orbit and 40–50 kilograms to Mars.
The agency also plans to revive a solar-monitoring probe intended for the Sun–Earth L4 point—a project that failed its feasibility review earlier this year—by first developing a precursor deep-space science probe through a mix of domestic and international instrument development.
Despite the ambitious slate, some experts have questioned whether KASA can execute all programs given budget and staffing constraints. Kang acknowledged the challenge but said missions will be phased.
“We’re not sending a massive spacecraft right away,” he said. “We are preparing step by step, and we are considering R&D programs so domestic companies can more actively develop exploration and observation instruments.”
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
