SOUTH KOREA CONFIRMS SUCCESSFUL FOURTH NURI ROCKET LAUNCH; PRIMARY SATELLITE MAKES CONTACT. (PHOTO).

 South Korea confirms successful fourth Nuri rocket launch; primary satellite makes contact

South Korea on Thursday successfully launched its homegrown Nuri rocket from the Naro Space Center, placing 13 satellites into orbit, including its main unit, CAS500-3, which established communication with King Sejong Station in Antarctica. The 200-ton rocket lifted off at 1:13 a.m. local time from Goheung, slightly later than the planned 12:55 a.m. launch due to a sensor issue. Contact with the primary satellite was confirmed at 1:55 a.m., allowing experts to check its condition.

Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon hailed the launch as a milestone, emphasizing that it marks a shift in South Korea’s space program from a government-led approach to one increasingly led by the private sector. “This was an important turning point in which the focus of the space ecosystem shifted to the private sector,” he said, adding that the government aims to make South Korea one of the world’s top five space powers. KASA Administrator Yoon Young-bin echoed the commitment to further develop the country’s space exploration capabilities, while President Lee Jae Myung described the launch as “a moment that opens a new chapter” in South Korea’s space history.

The CAS500-3 satellite, built by Korea Aerospace Industries, is a medium-class unit developed from the standard platform used in the first CAS500 model. It will conduct space science research, including observing auroras, measuring space magnetic fields and plasma, and performing experiments such as three-dimensional stem cell cultivation using bio 3D-printing technology. Communication with the satellite will continue through ground stations in Daejeon, Norway, and Antarctica.

Nuri’s launch sequence saw the first stage separate two minutes after liftoff and the second stage four minutes and 30 seconds into the flight. After reaching the target altitude of 600 kilometers, the rocket deployed the main satellite along with 12 cube satellites. The rocket’s 18-minute mission ended at 1:31 a.m., after which it will reenter Earth’s atmosphere and disintegrate.

This marks South Korea’s fourth Nuri launch. The first launch in October 2021 failed to reach orbit, while the June 2022 launch successfully placed a Performance Verification Satellite and a dummy satellite into orbit. In May 2023, a third launch carried a next-generation small satellite and seven cube satellites. Thursday’s launch was the first time Hanwha Aerospace oversaw the full assembly process as part of a long-term plan to transfer space technology responsibilities to the private sector.

Looking ahead, South Korea plans a fifth launch in 2026 and another in 2027, with officials exploring additional funding for a seventh launch in 2028. Hanwha Aerospace will take on a more proactive role in the fifth and sixth launches, including technology transfers related to the launch process. The government currently plans to offer public satellite launches free of charge through the sixth mission, with cost assessment discussions for privately led launches beginning with the seventh.

The launch drew a crowd of spectators at Naro Space Center, who cheered and captured the historic moment on their phones. Park Sung-wook, 40, who traveled with his son from Dangjin, called the experience “overwhelming,” while 22-year-old university student Kim Do-yun said the nighttime launch was “even clearer than I had expected, which was surprising.”