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| ▲ South Korea's first homegrown space launch vehicle, known as Nuri, takes off from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, on Oct. 21, 2021. (Pool photo) (Yonhap) |
(LEAD) space rocket-launch delay
(LEAD) S. Korea's space rocket launch delayed due to strong winds
(ATTN: UPDATES with details throughout; CHANGES headline; ADDS photo)
SEOUL, June 14 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has decided to postpone this week's scheduled launch of its space rocket Nuri by one day due to strong winds at the launch site, the science ministry said Tuesday.
The country was originally planning to launch the homegrown space rocket Wednesday, eight months after the first trial in October ended in partial success. The launch has now been moved to Thursday.
In October, Nuri successfully flew to a target altitude of 700 kilometers but failed to put a dummy satellite into orbit as its third-stage engine burned out earlier than expected.
Unlike the first launch, which carried a dummy satellite, actual satellites will be on the rocket this time. Nuri also underwent reinforcements of an anchoring device of the helium tank inside the third-stage oxidizer tank.
Nuri, also known as KSLV-II, is set to lift off from the Naro Space Center in the country's southern coastal village of Goheung.
The rocket is a three-stage, liquid-fueled carrier rocket developed entirely with homegrown technologies. Nearly 2 trillion won (US$1.8 billion) has been spent to develop the Nuri-ho since 2010.
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