Goheung: South Korea on Thursday confirmed the successful launch of its homegrown space rocket Nuri, which took off from Naro Space Center, with the main unit of the 13 satellites deployed establishing communication with King Sejong Station in Antarctica. “The fourth launch of Nuri was successful,” Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon said during a press briefing at the center, noting all satellites have been put into orbit.
According to Yonhap News Agency, this marks a significant shift in South Korea’s space endeavors, moving from a government-centered approach to one driven by the private sector. Bae emphasized that the government is committed to making South Korea one of the world’s top five space powerhouses. Yoon Young-bin, administrator of the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), supported this view and highlighted continuous efforts to enhance the country’s space exploration capabilities.
The 200-ton Nuri was launched from the country’s southern coastal village of Goheung, 473 kilometers south of Seoul, at 1:13 a.m., slightly behind schedule due to a sensor issue. According to the KASA and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), the main satellite, CAS500-3, successfully communicated with South Korea’s research station in Antarctica at 1:55 a.m., enabling experts to assess its condition. Monitoring will continue through communication with other ground stations in Daejeon and Norway.
The launch sequence saw Nuri separating its first stage about two minutes after liftoff, followed by the second stage four minutes and 30 seconds into the flight. Upon reaching a target altitude of 600 km, Nuri deployed the main satellite and 12 cube satellites. The mission concluded at 1:31 a.m., with Nuri expected to reenter Earth’s atmosphere and disintegrate due to gravity.
South Korea first attempted to launch the Nuri rocket in October 2021, which failed to enter orbit. A subsequent launch in June 2022 successfully put a Performance Verification Satellite (PVSAT) and a dummy satellite into orbit. The third launch in May 2023 saw the deployment of a next-generation small satellite and seven cube satellites.
This latest launch was notable for being the first where Hanwha Aerospace Co. managed the entire assembly process, aligning with the government’s strategy to transition space technologies to the private sector. Looking ahead, South Korea plans to conduct the fifth Nuri launch in 2026, followed by another in 2027.