KARI (Korea Aerospace Research Institute)

KARI (Korea Aerospace Research Institute; Korean: 한국항공우주연구원) is South Korea's national aerospace research and development institution, founded in 1989 and headquartered in Daejeon. KARI is responsible for Korea's indigenous space launch vehicle development, satellite development, and aeronautics R&D. Major KARI achievements include the development of the KOMPSAT (Arirang) Earth observation satellite series — providing sub-meter resolution optical and SAR imagery for both national security and civilian use — and the Korea Space Launch Vehicle series. KARI's Nuri rocket (KSLV-2), a three-stage liquid-propellant orbital launch vehicle with 200 kN-class engines, successfully reached orbit on June 21, 2022, making South Korea the seventh nation to independently develop an orbital launch vehicle. KARI also developed South Korea's first lunar spacecraft, Danuri (KPLO), launched in August 2022 and currently operating in lunar orbit.