S. Korea to launch homegrown Nuri rocket on Oct. 7

SEOUL, Aug. 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's homegrown Nuri rocket will be launched on Oct. 7 for its mission to put 15 satellites into orbit, the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) said Thursday.

The launch will take place at the Naro Space Center in the country's southern coastal village of Goheung, some 473 kilometers south of Seoul, between 12:23 p.m. and 1:23 p.m., with the exact time to be decided on the launch date, KASA said.

The backup launch window has been set between Oct. 8 and Oct. 14.

It will mark the fifth launch of the homegrown space rocket since the first launch carried out on Oct. 2021.

At the time, the rocket failed to enter orbit while carrying a 1.5-ton dummy satellite.

In June 2022, South Korea made the second attempt, which successfully put a Performance Verification Satellite (PVSAT) and a 1.3-ton dummy satellite into orbit.

The third launch was held in May 2023, with South Korea successfully putting a next-generation small satellite and seven cube satellites into orbit.

In its fourth launch, held in November 2025, the country successfully put 13 satellites into space.

For the upcoming fifth launch, the Nuri rocket will hold 15 satellites, including a nano satellite constellation comprising five spacecraft. The satellites are currently undergoing a function check at the center, KASA added.

fairydust@yna.co.kr
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