Goheung:South Korea's indigenously developed Nuri rocket was transported and erected vertically on the launchpad at the Naro Space Center, in preparation for its fifth launch scheduled for Wednesday. The process, managed by the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), involved a 90-minute journey from the assembly complex, completed by 7:30 a.m., followed by securing the rocket at 10:35 a.m.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the launch team connected the rocket to umbilical systems for power and other necessary connections, conducting checks in preparation for fueling. This work concluded at 8:05 p.m. KASA plans to convene a launch management committee meeting at 8 a.m. Wednesday to finalize the launch time, which will be announced at 8:45 a.m., after assessing technical readiness, weather conditions, and potential space object collisions.
The rocket's payload includes five NEONSAT microsatellites and 10 CubeSats. This marks Nuri's first attempt to deploy multiple primary satellites sequentially for a unified mission. The NEONSATs are part of South Korea’s first homegrown microsatellite constellation for Earth observation, geared towards national security and disaster response.
Approximately four hours before liftoff, the team will commence fueling the three-stage rocket with kerosene and liquid oxygen oxidizer. The NEONSATs, numbered 2 through 6, will be released at intervals of 35 to 40 seconds at an altitude of around 575 kilometers, followed by the CubeSats, which will deploy in pairs at 10-second intervals.
The constellation, once complete, will include 10 satellites, with the remaining five planned for launch next year. It will provide high-frequency monitoring of the Korean Peninsula and the surrounding region, capable of imaging the area more than three times daily and revisiting the same location within 24 hours.