Nuri rocket completes fifth launch, placing satellites in orbit
Version 2: New coverage adds the president’s live viewing of the launch and his call to shorten the launch cycle, the government’s plan to add five launches through 2032, and a report that a Daejeon-built cube satellite failed its first contact attempt with a retry planned, while outlets still differ on whether 14 or 15 satellites were deployed.
In short
South Korea’s Nuri rocket lifted off at 12:25 p.m. local time on Oct 7 from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, carrying 15 satellites, the most in its history, and placed the five main ultra-small cluster satellites in their target orbit. Newsis reported that 14 of the 15 satellites separated normally and that cube satellite PerSeat-02 did not, while Chosun Ilbo said 15 satellites were delivered. President Lee Jae-myung watched the launch live and called for a shorter launch cycle.
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The Korean launch vehicle Nuri lifted off at 12:25 p.m. local time on Oct 7 from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, Jeollanam-do, carrying 15 satellites — the most of any Nuri flight, according to Dong-A Ilbo, Chosun Ilbo, Korea Economic Daily and Hankook Ilbo. Korea Economic Daily, citing the Korea AeroSpace Administration and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, said launch preparations proceeded smoothly and the rocket left the pad at the scheduled time. [ 4 , 6 , 10 , 15 ]
Yonhap bulletins tracked the flight through altitude checkpoints: 100 km at 12:27 p.m., 200 km at 12:28 p.m., 300 km at 12:29 p.m., 400 km at 12:31 p.m. and 500 km at 12:35 p.m., reporting the flight as normal after stage separation. Hankook Ilbo reported the first stage separated about 123 seconds after lift-off, the fairing at 233 seconds and the second stage at 268 seconds, and that the third-stage engine ended its burn about 761 seconds after lift-off at an altitude of 575 km. [ 5 , 7 , 9 , 11 , 13 , 15 ]
The main payload, five ultra-small cluster satellites numbered 2 to 6, was placed in the target orbit, Chosun Ilbo, Dong-A Ilbo and Hankook Ilbo reported. Hankook Ilbo said the target was 570 km with a margin of 15 km, tighter than the 35 km margin around 600 km on the fourth launch, that a new low-impact separation device was used and satellite mass rose to about 1,071 kg from about 960 kg. Chosun Ilbo said the flight was Nuri’s fourth consecutive success since the 2022 second launch, and Hankook Ilbo put the cumulative success rate at 80%, with the government aiming for the 90% range needed for commercial launches. [ 4 , 6 , 15 ]
Outlets differed on the fate of the cube satellites. Newsis reported that 14 of the 15 satellites separated normally and that cube satellite PerSeat-02 did not, quoting Park Jong-chan as saying in a briefing that nine of the 10 cube satellites separated but PerSeat-02 did not, even though the rocket sent a normal separation signal. Chosun Ilbo said the rocket delivered 15 satellites, and Korea Economic Daily’s photo headline said 14 satellites were delivered. [ 6 , 8 , 22 ]
Hanwha Aerospace expanded its operational role: 23 of its staff sat at 20 of the launch control centre’s 22 consoles, 18 of them operating consoles directly, while the Korea Aerospace Research Institute managed and supervised, compared with KARI operating consoles at the fourth launch, Hankook Ilbo reported. Han Young-min, head of the institute’s launch vehicle research centre, said the third stage’s attitude control to avoid collisions between satellites was one of the key parts of the mission. Nuri is to fly again next year with cluster satellites 7 to 11 and in 2028 with the fifth next-generation medium satellite; after the seventh launch, flights are to shift to civilian leadership, and the government is considering two or more launches a year, Hankook Ilbo reported. [ 15 ]
President Lee Jae-myung watched the launch live from the presidential office with chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik, policy chief Ha Joon-kyung and AI future planning secretary Lee Hae-min, the presidential office said through spokesman Kim Seong-wan, according to Asia Economy, Electronic Times, Yonhap and Kyunghyang Shinmun. Kyunghyang Shinmun reported he watched for about 20 minutes until satellite deployment ended and applauded, then said on X that the country had moved closer to space sovereignty, and asked that the launch cycle be shortened to speed up satellite technology. The spokesman said the government added 328 billion won to the programme for five more launches through 2032, and that two launches that took 36 months under the previous government were achieved in 17 months under the current one. [ 16 , 17 , 20 , 23 ]
Newsis reported that the DaejeonSat cube satellite, developed by the city of Daejeon and five local space companies with 5.4 billion won, was among the cube satellites placed in orbit, and that its first contact with the ground station failed because of a poor elevation angle. Daejeon city said a second contact attempt was planned for around 11 p.m. [ 21 ]
Why it matters
The flight is part of a programme to show Nuri can be built and flown repeatedly, which Hankook Ilbo ties to commercial use; the report says the government aims to raise the success rate to the 90% range needed for commercial launches. Hanwha Aerospace took a wider role in launch operations ahead of a planned shift to civilian-led flights after the seventh launch. The government has added five launches through 2032, and the president asked for a shorter launch cycle.
Key facts
- Nuri lifted off at 12:25 p.m. local time on Oct 7 from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, Jeollanam-do. [ 4 , 10 , 15 ]
- The rocket carried 15 satellites, the most of any Nuri launch. [ 4 , 6 , 15 ]
- Yonhap reported the rocket passing 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 km altitude checkpoints during the flight. [ 5 , 7 , 9 , 11 , 13 ]
- The five main ultra-small cluster satellites, numbers 2 to 6, were placed in a target orbit of 570 km with a 15 km margin. [ 4 , 6 , 15 ]
- Newsis reported that 14 of the 15 satellites separated and that cube satellite PerSeat-02 did not, quoting Park Jong-chan as saying nine of 10 cube satellites separated. [ 8 , 21 ]
- The launch was Nuri’s fifth and its fourth consecutive success since the 2022 second flight, with a cumulative success rate of 80%. [ 6 , 15 ]
- Hanwha Aerospace staff took part in 20 of the launch control centre’s 22 consoles, with 18 operating consoles directly, while the Korea Aerospace Research Institute managed and supervised. [ 15 ]
- President Lee Jae-myung watched the launch live and asked for the launch cycle to be shortened. [ 16 , 17 , 20 , 23 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Nuri lifted off at 12:25 p.m. on Oct 7 from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, Jeollanam-do. [ 4 , 10 , 15 ]
- Nuri carried 15 satellites, the most in its history. [ 4 , 6 , 15 ]
- The first and second stages separated normally and the flight continued as planned. [ 4 , 7 , 10 , 11 , 14 ]
- The five main ultra-small cluster satellites 2 to 6 were placed into the target orbit. [ 4 , 6 , 15 ]
- The flight was Nuri’s fifth launch and its fourth consecutive success since the 2022 second launch. [ 6 , 15 ]
- President Lee Jae-myung watched the launch broadcast and asked for the launch cycle to be shortened to accelerate satellite technology. [ 16 , 17 , 20 , 23 ]
Still unclear
- Whether all 15 satellites deployed: Newsis reported 14 of 15 separated and that cube satellite PerSeat-02 did not, and Korea Economic Daily’s photo headline said 14 satellites were delivered, while Chosun Ilbo said 15 satellites were delivered and Hankook Ilbo described the 10 cube satellites being released in sequence. Outlets differ on the number of satellites deployed; no outlet other than Newsis reports a separation failure.
- The reason PerSeat-02 did not separate. Newsis quoted Park Jong-chan saying the rocket sent a normal separation signal but the satellite was not released. Single-source claim, and the documents give no cause.
- Whether the DaejeonSat cube satellite makes contact; its first contact attempt failed and a second attempt was planned for around 11 p.m., according to Daejeon city. Single-source (Newsis) report of an outcome not yet known.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Nuri lifts off from the Naro Space Center in Goheung carrying 15 satellites. [ 4 , 10 , 15 ]
- Yonhap reports the rocket passed an altitude of 100 km. [ 5 ]
- Yonhap reports the rocket passed 200 km; Chosun Ilbo reports the launch succeeded with 15 satellites. [ 6 , 7 ]
- The second stage separates and the rocket passes 300 km, according to Newsis and Yonhap. [ 8 , 9 ]
- Yonhap reports the rocket passed 400 km after first- and second-stage separation. [ 11 ]
- Yonhap reports the rocket passed 500 km. [ 13 ]
- Hankook Ilbo reports the mission succeeded with the main cluster satellites in their target orbit. [ 15 ]
- President Lee Jae-myung’s reaction to the launch and his call to shorten the launch cycle are reported by Asia Economy, Electronic Times, Seoul Economic Daily, Yonhap and Kyunghyang Shinmun. [ 16 , 17 , 19 , 20 , 23 ]
- A second contact attempt with the DaejeonSat cube satellite is planned, Daejeon city says. [ 21 ]