South Korea Launches Homegrown Rocket After Delay

Seoul, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th May, 2023 ) :South Korea launched its homegrown Nuri rocket on Thursday, officials said, a day after it was forced to postpone due to a technical glitch just hours before lift-off.

It marks the third launch of the Nuri, which successfully put test satellites into orbit last year after a failed 2021 attempt saw the rocket's third-stage engine burn out too early.

Wednesday's launch was called off over a computer communication error which was resolved by Thursday, allowing the launch -- a key step forward for the country's burgeoning space programme -- to go ahead.

The three-stage rocket, more than 47 metres (155 feet) long and weighing 200 tonnes, soared into the sky from the Naro Space Center in South Korea's southern coastal region, leaving a huge trail of white smoke.

"Flight normal," said a female announcer on the official government livestream of the launch, as Nuri soared into the sky.

In previous tests, the rocket carried payloads mainly designed for verifying the performance of the launch vehicle.

This time, the rocket was topped with eight working satellites, including a "commercial-grade satellite", according to the science ministry.

Five minutes after the launch, the rocket reached an altitude of 300 kilometres and the second-stage separation was confirmed.

All eight satellites Nuri was carrying then successfully separated, according to the official livestream.

More than 200,000 viewers were watching the livestream of the launch on YouTube, with one commenting: "Fly high Nuri! Let's go to space!"