Korea sets Nuri space rocket’s second launch for mid-June

South Korea will make a second attempt to launch its first domestically designed and developed space rocket Nuri in mid-June after an earlier attempt ended in failure due to technical glitches.

The science ministry said on Friday the Korean Satellite Launch Vehicle Two (KSLV-II), nicknamed Nuri, meaning the world in Korean, will be lifted off on June 15, about a month later than scheduled.

The launch date is subject to change, depending on various conditions such as weather, but the blast-off will likely happen before June 23, according to the ministry and the state-run Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI).

Unlike the first attempt last October, when Nuri carried a 1.5-ton dummy satellite, the June launch will carry a real working satellite weighing 168 kg and a 1.3-ton dummy

On Oct. 21 of last year, the country blasted off the 200-ton Nuri, its first homegrown space rocket, which successfully flew to a target altitude of 700 km but failed to put a dummy satellite into orbit as the rocket’s third-stage engine burned out earlier than scheduled.

Experts later said the helium tank on the third-stage rocket fell off the anchoring device during the flight, creating cracks in the oxidizer tank and eventually causing the engine to shut off prematurely.

The ministry said on Friday it has fixed the problem and also made the cover of the oxidizer tank thicker and stronger.

SEVENTH COUNTRY WITH INDEPENDENT SPACE TECH

Korea aims to become the seventh country in the world to launch a space rocket with independent capabilities from the design to the construction of all relevant components.

Nuri is a three-stage-to-orbit rocket, on which the Korean government and industries have spent nearly 2 trillion won ($1.8 billion) on development since 2010.

The country plans to conduct four more launches of the homegrown rocket until 2030 to increase reliability, the KARI said.

Korea’s future plans call for launching surveillance, navigation, and landing a lunar probe.

Nuri is a work of collaboration involving some 500 aerospace experts from more than 300 different South Korean firms, including Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI), Hanwha Aerospace Co., Space Solution Co., S&H Co., Vitzro Nextech, Neospec Co., Samyang Chemical and Hy-Lok Co.

Meanwhile, the government said on Friday it will invest 734 billion won into space development this year, up 18.9% from the previous year.

The planned projects include securing next-generation projectile technology, launching two satellites and the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter – the country’s first space probe – in the second half.

Write to See-Eun Lee at see@hankyung.com
In-Soo Nam edited this article.