Nuri mission ready to put 8 satellites in space

In this overlay photo, Korea Space Launch Vehicle-II, also known as Nuri, is being erected in a vertical position before the launch scheduled for Wednesday, at the Naro Space Center in Goheung County, South Jeolla, on Tuesday. [KARI]

 
Nuri, Korea’s homegrown rocket, completed the pre-launch preparation for its third launch slated for Wednesday, erected on the launch pad at the Naro Space Center in Goheung County in South Jeolla.
 
The pre-launch check was completed at 9:14 p.m., Tuesday, with the umbilical tower for fuel and oxidizer injection successfully connected to the rocket, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, which spearheads the launch.
 
The weather conditions in the region are expected to be favorable for the launch.
 
The launch management committee will consolidate the schedule for the liftoff by 2 p.m., Wednesday. The current plan is to launch the rocket at 6:24 p.m., but the committee will finalize the times in its final meeting.
 
Whether the rocket has completed its mission to deploy its 504-kilogram payload of eight satellites at the target altitude will be announced 80 minutes after the launch.
 
The flight is estimated to last for 18 minutes and 58 seconds, with the first satellite set to be separated from the rocket at 550 kilometers above ground 785 seconds, or 13 minutes and 3 seconds, after the liftoff.
 
In its second test launch last June, Nuri carried a performance verification satellite with four miniature cube satellites placed inside and a dummy payload. The previous flight lasted for 1,095 seconds, or 18 minutes and 25 seconds, during the second launch.
 
 

BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]