Nuri rocket's fifth launch succeeds, deploying satellites from Goheung

South Korea's homegrown Nuri launch vehicle succeeded in its fifth flight, lifting off at 12:25 p.m. on Oct. 7 from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, Jeollanam-do, and reaching an altitude of 575 km before releasing its satellites, Seoul Economic Daily reported. Hankook Ilbo also reported the launch as a success, saying the rocket put its main payloads into orbit. [ 2 , 3 ]

Seoul Economic Daily said the rocket separated five NEONSAT 2-6 micro cluster satellites and nine cube satellites. The cluster satellites are to be used for disaster response and maritime monitoring and security after inter-satellite spacing adjustments and initial operations, while the cube satellites are to carry out space experiments tied to pharmaceuticals and semiconductors, verify laser optical communication technology and observe space radiation and Earth's magnetic field, the paper said. Hankook Ilbo put the payload at 15 satellites in total — the five cluster satellites plus ten cube satellites developed by domestic companies, universities and research institutes — and said 14 were released. The two outlets gave different counts of the cube satellites. [ 2 , 3 ]

The launch extended the private sector's role beyond building the rocket to operating the launch, Seoul Economic Daily said. Hanwha Aerospace, the system integrator, assembled the vehicle and operated the launch control console, it said, while HD Hyundai, SK, LG and about 300 small and mid-sized domestic companies supplied parts and technology. Hankook Ilbo described the release of the main satellites as a high-difficulty manoeuvre in which the rocket separated one satellite and then changed attitude to send the next four in different directions at intervals of 35 to 40 seconds. [ 2 , 3 ]

Nuri has now flown five times with four successes, a cumulative success rate of 80%, and the fifth launch was the first to proceed without a delay, according to Hankook Ilbo, which added that a goal of two launches a year is now in sight. Oh Tae-suk, head of the Korea AeroSpace Administration, said the launch showed “a one step higher space transport capability to carry out diverse missions to the level and timing customers want,” the paper reported. [ 3 ]

Both editorials said commercialisation remains the test. Hankook Ilbo said Nuri's launch cost is more than ten times SpaceX's and called for support for a next-generation launch vehicle with a reusable first stage, adding that Korea still lags advanced space nations. Seoul Economic Daily said the sixth launch next year should cut production and operating costs, that the private sector is to lead launches from the eighth flight, and that the government should invest in future technologies, provide stable public satellite launch demand and negotiate barriers such as the U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations. It cited NASA's purchases of private cargo and crew transport as an example of how such demand supports space companies. [ 2 , 3 ]

Kukmin Ilbo, in a headline, described the programme as a “K-Nuri” project joined by 300 companies and said private-led space commercialisation was getting on track. [ 1 ]