Officials said on Tuesday that South Korea’s second test launch of its domestically made Nuri rocket successfully placed multiple satellites in orbit, marking a big step forward in the country’s efforts to relaunch its space programme after the first attempt failed last year.
At 4 p.m., the rocket took off from the Naro Space Center on South Korea’s southern coast (0700 GMT). Officials said a 162.5-kg (358-lb) satellite designed to test the rocket’s capabilities successfully made contact with an Antarctic base station after attaining orbit.
A 1.3-ton fake satellite and four small cube spacecraft constructed by universities for research were successfully sent into orbit by the rocket.
“The Korean universe’s sky is now wide open,” Science and ICT Minister Lee Jong-ho said during a press conference. “Our science and technology have come a long way.”
The three-stage KSLV-II Nuri rocket, designed by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) to deliver 1.5-ton payloads into orbit 600 to 800 km (370 to 500 miles) above the Earth, is a key component of the country’s ambitious plans for 6G networks, spy satellites, and even lunar explorations. It is the country’s first domestically constructed space launch vehicle, and it uses only Korean rocket technologies. South Korea’s most recent rocket, which was launched in 2013 after repeated delays and unsuccessful testing, was built in collaboration with Russia.
According to a statement from his office, President Yoon Suk-yeol watched the launch from his office and praised everyone involved as he was briefed by Lee and others about the success, vowing to uphold an election promise to build a new agency to handle space matters.
“From our land, the road to space has now been opened,” Yoon remarked. “It was the culmination of 30 years of arduous challenges. From now on, our people’s and youth’s dreams and hopes will reach into space.“
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