Nuri rocket lifts off on fifth flight carrying record 15 satellites
Version 4: The launch time was confirmed at 12:25 p.m. on Oct. 7 and Korea Economic Daily reported the rocket lifted off; the payload is now identified as five NEOANSAT cluster satellites and 10 cube satellites, and space-related shares fell on launch day.
In short
South Korea's Nuri rocket launched at 12:25 p.m. on Oct. 7 from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, after the launch management committee confirmed the time that morning. The rocket carries 15 satellites — five NEOANSAT microsatellite cluster satellites and 10 cube satellites — the most on any Nuri flight, according to Yonhap and Hankook Ilbo. Korea Economic Daily reported the lift-off, while the documents do not yet describe the outcome of the satellite deployment.
Read the full story 3 min read
The Korea AeroSpace Administration and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute confirmed the fifth Nuri launch for Oct. 7 at 12:25 p.m. after a launch management committee met at 8 a.m. and reviewed technical readiness, weather, the space environment and the risk of collision with space objects, according to the agencies and multiple outlets. The official launch window ran from 12:23 p.m. to 1:23 p.m., with a one-hour margin. [ 15 , 20 , 26 , 28 , 30 , 34 ]
Nuri left the assembly building at the Naro Space Center at 6 a.m. on Oct. 6 on a low-vibration transporter and arrived at the second launch pad at 7:30 a.m., the agencies said. Yonhap, Electronic Times and Hankook Ilbo reported the rocket was erected upright and secured at 10:35 a.m., with Kyunghyang Shinmun saying the erection work took about three hours. Kyunghyang Shinmun reported pad installation was to finish at around 6:45 p.m., and Yonhap later reported installation was complete, with no technical problems reported. [ 4 , 5 , 9 , 11 , 13 ]
Newsis reported that connecting the umbilicals and removing parts not needed for flight was finished at around 11:30 p.m. on Oct. 6, and that checks of sensors and equipment on the rocket and pad began at 5 a.m. on Oct. 7. At the launch committee, administrator Oh Tae-seok of the Korea AeroSpace Administration said preparations were proceeding on schedule with no technical problems, and that ground wind at the pad averaged 2 meters per second with gusts of 5 meters per second, against conditions that rule out launch at 15 and 21 meters per second. He said upper-level winds, measured with a radiosonde balloon sent to about 20 kilometers, met launch conditions and that clear weather meant no lightning restrictions applied. [ 30 , 34 , 37 ]
Hankook Ilbo and Seoul Economic Daily reported the payload as five NEOANSAT microsatellite cluster satellites and 10 cube satellites, 15 in all and the most on any Nuri flight. Seoul Economic Daily said the cluster satellites are to be placed in a 575-kilometer orbit and are intended for national security and disaster response, citing Ahn Hyung-joon of the Science and Technology Policy Institute as saying the flight must deploy five identical satellites in sequence to demonstrate mission-type space transport. Yonhap said the flight tests the rocket's transport capacity; neither Yonhap nor Hankook Ilbo described the outcome. [ 6 , 9 , 11 ]
Seoul Economic Daily reported the cube satellites were developed by universities, research institutes and companies, including Ulysse, built by the startup Mooin Exploration Lab with LG Science Park, which is to test an LG Innotek camera module, an LG Energy Solution battery pack, an LG Electronics power module and attitude-control actuator and a satellite communications antenna over about 60 days. It said a KARI-developed domestic component verification platform carries an SK hynix DRAM and universal flash storage and an Inshera Solutions high-speed precision steering mirror. Yonhap reported a cube satellite named CPSat jointly developed by Pusan National University and Chosun University is also aboard. [ 11 , 38 ]
Chosun Ilbo reported that on this flight a private company moves beyond manufacturing to operating most of the consoles in the launch control centre, describing it as a further step in transferring the government-developed rocket to a private-sector-led space transport system. Seoul Economic Daily reported Hanwha Aerospace staff would analyse and operate data alongside the research institute, and quoted a KARI official as saying Hanwha Aerospace would be the main operator of the ground control system for the sixth launch. Hanwha Aerospace oversaw production as system integration company, as it did for the fourth launch. [ 1 , 8 , 11 ]
CBS NoCut News reported kerosene loading was to begin at about 9:40 a.m. and liquid oxygen at about 10:15 a.m., with the sequence switching to automatic operation 10 minutes before launch. Korea Economic Daily reported the rocket launched at 12:25 p.m. Newsis reported that space-related shares fell on launch day, with Hanwha Aerospace down 2.25 percent, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries down 2.02 percent, Korea Aerospace Industries down 2.32 percent and Hanwha Systems down 2.69 percent in morning trading, attributing the decline to profit-taking; Kyobo Securities analyst Kwon Oh-hwi was quoted saying the space industry is moving toward mass production and commercialisation. [ 26 , 36 , 37 , 39 ]
Why it matters
The flight is the next launch of South Korea's domestically developed orbital rocket and, according to Yonhap, tests its capacity to carry and deploy multiple satellites. Chosun Ilbo and Seoul Economic Daily reported it also advances the transfer of launch operations toward Hanwha Aerospace, and Seoul Economic Daily said the cube satellites will verify domestically made components in orbit. The documents do not state the mission's result.
Key facts
- The launch management committee confirmed the fifth Nuri launch for Oct. 7 at 12:25 p.m. after reviewing technical readiness, weather, the space environment and the risk of collision with space objects. [ 15 , 20 , 26 , 30 ]
- Nuri was erected upright on the launch pad at 10:35 a.m. on Oct. 6, after leaving the assembly building at 6 a.m. and arriving at the pad at 7:30 a.m. [ 4 , 5 , 9 , 11 ]
- The rocket carries 15 satellites, the most on any Nuri flight so far. [ 6 , 9 , 11 , 14 ]
- The payload consists of five NEOANSAT microsatellite cluster satellites and 10 cube satellites; their target orbit is 575 kilometers. [ 9 , 11 , 30 ]
- The space agency said launch conditions were met, with ground wind at the pad averaging 2 meters per second and gusting to 5 meters per second, against limits of 15 and 21 meters per second. [ 28 , 30 , 37 ]
- Chosun Ilbo reported a private company will operate most consoles in launch control, and Seoul Economic Daily reported Hanwha Aerospace personnel would join data analysis and operation. [ 8 , 11 ]
- Korea Economic Daily reported the rocket launched at 12:25 p.m. on Oct. 7. [ 39 ]
- Newsis reported space-related shares fell on launch day, with Hanwha Aerospace down 2.25 percent and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries down 2.02 percent in morning trading. [ 36 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The launch management committee, meeting at 8 a.m. on Oct. 7, confirmed the launch time as 12:25 p.m. [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 20 , 26 , 30 , 37 ]
- The official launch window was 12:23 p.m. to 1:23 p.m. on Oct. 7. [ 2 , 4 , 9 , 28 , 30 ]
- Nuri was moved from the assembly building to the launch pad on Oct. 6 and erected upright and secured at 10:35 a.m. [ 4 , 5 , 9 , 11 ]
- The rocket left the assembly building at 6 a.m. and arrived at the launch pad at 7:30 a.m. on Oct. 6. [ 4 , 5 , 9 , 11 ]
- Installation on the launch pad was completed and additional preparatory work, including connecting the umbilicals and removing parts not needed for flight, finished at around 11:30 p.m. on Oct. 6. [ 13 , 30 , 37 ]
- Nuri carries 15 satellites, the most on any of its flights. [ 6 , 9 , 11 , 14 , 27 ]
- The primary payload is five NEOANSAT microsatellite cluster satellites, with 10 cube satellites as secondary payloads. [ 9 , 11 , 30 ]
- The space agency said weather, space environment and space-object collision risk did not prevent launch. [ 28 , 30 , 34 , 37 ]
- Assembly and final checks produced no problems that would affect the launch schedule. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the launch succeeded and the 15 satellites reached their intended orbits. Korea Economic Daily reported the lift-off; no other document in the set describes the flight or the deployment of the satellites, so the mission result is not yet established.
- How long the transporter took to move the rocket to the launch pad. Dong-A Ilbo said the roughly 1.8-kilometer trip from the assembly building takes more than an hour, while Electronic Times, Hankook Ilbo and Seoul Economic Daily reported about one hour and 30 minutes; the documents do not reconcile the figures.
- Which organizations operate all 10 cube satellites. Seoul Economic Daily names some cube satellites and their developers, including Ulysse, KARI's component verification platform and CPSat, while Hankook Ilbo and Newsis describe the payload only in general terms; the documents do not give the full list of operators.
- The administrative name of the launch site. Kyunghyang Shinmun, Hankook Ilbo and Newsis write the site as Goheung in Gwangju, while Yonhap, Dong-A Ilbo and Electronic Times place it in South Jeolla province; the documents give no explanation for the difference.
- The exact extent of Hanwha Aerospace's role in launch control on this flight. Chosun Ilbo reported Hanwha Aerospace will operate most consoles in the launch control centre and Seoul Economic Daily reported its staff would join data analysis and operation, but no document specifies which functions the company controls on this flight.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- The third stage carrying satellites is joined to the assembled first and second stages, according to Yonhap. [ 1 ]
- Yonhap reports Nuri has completed total assembly and final checks and is ready for launch, with no problems in the assembly process. [ 1 ]
- The launch preparation committee meets and decides to move Nuri to the launch pad after reviewing technical and weather conditions, according to Electronic Times. [ 5 ]
- Nuri leaves the assembly building on the low-vibration transporter. [ 4 , 5 , 9 , 11 ]
- The rocket arrives at the second launch pad. [ 4 , 5 , 9 , 11 ]
- Erection and securing of the rocket on the launch pad is completed. [ 4 , 5 , 9 , 11 ]
- The procedure for installing Nuri on the launch pad is scheduled to finish, according to Kyunghyang Shinmun. [ 4 ]
- Additional work, including igniter connections for umbilical separation and removal of parts not needed for flight, is completed, according to Newsis. [ 30 ]
- Checks of the rocket's and launch pad's sensors and equipment begin, according to Newsis. [ 30 ]
- The launch management committee meets to review technical readiness, weather, the space environment and collision risk and set the launch time. [ 9 , 15 , 30 ]
- The space agency confirms the launch for 12:25 p.m. [ 15 , 17 , 18 , 20 , 26 ]
- Loading of kerosene propellant begins, according to CBS NoCut News. [ 37 ]
- Loading of liquid oxygen oxidizer begins, according to CBS NoCut News. [ 37 ]
- The launch sequence switches to automatic operation mode for final checks and engine ignition. [ 26 , 37 ]
- Korea Economic Daily reports Nuri launches. [ 39 ]