(ATTN: CHANGES headline; UPDATES with rocket's erection on launchpad in lead, para 3)
By Kim Eun-jung
SEOUL, Oct. 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's homegrown Nuri rocket was moved to a launchpad and raised into a vertical position Tuesday, a day before its scheduled fifth launch, the country's space agency said.
The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) said the launch team completed transporting the rocket to the launchpad at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, about 330 kilometers south of Seoul, at 7:30 a.m. after a 90-minute journey from the assembly complex.
The rocket was erected vertically and secured in place at 10:35 a.m., according to the Korea Aerospace Research Institute.
The Nuri rocket is transported to a launchpad at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, about 330 kilometers south of Seoul, in this photo provided by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute on Oct. 6, 2026. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The launch team will then connect the rocket to the umbilical systems, which supply power and other necessary links, and conduct a series of checks in preparation for the injection of fuel and the oxidizer.
Preparations at the launchpad are expected to be completed by the end of the day.
KASA will convene a launch management committee Wednesday to determine the final launch time after reviewing the rocket's technical readiness, weather conditions and the possibility of collisions with existing space objects.
The Nuri rocket is transported to a launchpad at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, about 330 kilometers south of Seoul, in this photo provided by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute on Oct. 6, 2026. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
ejkim@yna.co.kr
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