Goheung:South Korea has successfully launched its domestically manufactured Nuri rocket on its fifth flight, achieving a significant milestone by placing 15 satellites into orbit. This includes the first nucleus of the country's fully locally developed small satellite constellation.
According to Oman News Agency, the 200-tonne Nuri rocket lifted off from the Naro Space Centre in Goheung, approximately 400 kilometers southwest of Seoul. It carried a payload of five small Nyeonsat satellites and ten cube satellites.
The Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA) reported that the rocket's first and second stages efficiently completed their communication and compatibility tasks. Subsequently, the rocket deployed its satellites with precision at an altitude of around 575 kilometers.
After successfully deploying the satellites, the Nuri rocket executed a collision-avoidance maneuver and vented its remaining fuel. The journey concluded within approximately 20 minutes of lift-off, with the rocket expected to temporarily remain in orbit before re-entering Earth's atmosphere and burning up entirely.
This fifth flight is particularly significant as it marks Nuri rocket's first attempt to deploy a group of primary satellites for the same mission. The Nyeonsat satellites, each weighing less than 100 kilograms, are equipped with high-resolution electro-optical cameras. These cameras can detect and photograph small objects with an accuracy of one meter in black-and-white imagery and four meters in color imagery, supporting national security and disaster response efforts by monitoring the Korean Peninsula and its surroundings.
The next phase will see the completion of this space constellation. The Nyeonsat constellation will eventually consist of 10 satellites, with the remaining five set to launch on the rocket's sixth flight next year. Once fully operational, the constellation will provide imaging coverage of the Korean Peninsula more than three times daily, with the capability to revisit the same location within 24 hours.
