Goheung: South Korea’s homegrown space rocket Nuri took off from Naro Space Center on Thursday, achieving a successful deployment of its main satellite, which established communication with King Sejong Station in Antarctica.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the 200-ton Nuri launched from the southern coastal village of Goheung, 473 kilometers south of Seoul, at 1:13 a.m., slightly delayed from the original schedule due to a sensor issue. The main satellite, CAS500-3, successfully communicated with South Korea’s research center in Antarctica at 1:55 a.m., allowing experts to assess its condition.

Researchers will continue monitoring the main satellite through communications with other ground stations, including those located in the central city of Daejeon and Norway, space authorities informed. The sequence of events during the launch included Nuri’s first stage separation approximately two minutes after liftoff, followed by the second stage separation four minutes and 30 seconds into the flight.

Upon reach
ing the target altitude of 600 km, Nuri successfully separated the main satellite along with 12 cube satellites. The rocket’s flight concluded at 1:31 a.m., completing its 18-minute mission. It is anticipated to reenter Earth’s atmosphere and disintegrate.

The Nuri rocket’s initial launch in October 2021 did not succeed in entering orbit with a 1.5-ton dummy satellite. However, in June 2022, it successfully placed a Performance Verification Satellite and a 1.3-ton dummy satellite into orbit. The third launch in May 2023 saw South Korea deploying a next-generation small satellite and seven cube satellites into orbit.

The recent launch is notable as it was the first time Hanwha Aerospace Co. managed the entire assembly process under the government’s plan to transition space technologies to the private sector. South Korea is planning the fifth launch in 2026 and another in 2027.