After a brief delay due to technical problems, South Korea has successfully conducted the first launch of its indigenous rocket, Nuri.
The rocket was launched into the sky from the Naro Space Center, located in South Korea’s southern coastal region, and carried eight satellites into orbit. Lee Jong-ho, Minister of Science and Technology, announced, “We report to the public that the third launch of Nuri, which was independently developed to secure domestic space transportation capacity, has been successfully completed.”
The 47-meter (155-foot) long rocket weighed 200 tonnes and cost an estimated two trillion won ($1.5 billion).
The primary satellite was able to communicate with Korea’s King Sejong Station in Antarctica, confirming South Korea’s “potential for launch services for various satellite operations and space exploration,” according to Lee. As part of the Nuri project, South Korea aims to launch three more rockets by 2027.
The successful launch of Nuri was praised by President Yoon Suk Yeol, who believes that it will give South Korea a significant competitive edge in the global space race. “The success of Nuri’s third launch is a splendid achievement that declares South Korea has joined the G7 space powers,” he said in a statement.
South Korea has set ambitious goals for its space program, with plans to land spacecraft on the Moon by 2032 and Mars by 2045.
