By Kim Eun-jung
GOHEUNG, South Korea, Oct. 7 (Yonhap) -- The Nuri space rocket's successful deployment of five microsatellites Wednesday marked a key step toward South Korea's first domestic satellite constellation and greater private-sector participation in space development, experts said.
On its fifth mission, the 200-ton Nuri deployed five New-space Earth Observation Satellite Constellation for National Safety (NEONSAT) microsatellites as its primary payload after lifting off from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, about 400 kilometers south of Seoul.
As a secondary mission, the rocket deployed nine CubeSats developed by South Korean research institutes, universities and companies, while a 10th failed to separate from the rocket.
South Korea's Nuri space rocket lifts off from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, about 400 kilometers south of Seoul, on Oct. 7, 2026. (Yonhap)
Wednesday's mission was Nuri's fourth consecutive success after its maiden flight failed in 2021, raising its success rate from 75 percent to 80 percent.
"The successful deployment of the satellite constellation demonstrated (South Korea's) more advanced space transportation capability, enabling a range of missions to be carried out in line with customers' desired orbits and schedules," said Oh Tae-seok, administrator of the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA).
Unlike previous flights focused on proving South Korea's independent access to space, the latest mission links Nuri, satellite constellations and private-sector participation as key pillars of its evolving space strategy.
For the first time, Nuri sequentially deployed multiple primary satellites designed to perform the same mission, demonstrating a key capability for building and operating satellite constellations.
The five NEONSATs are part of a planned 10-satellite Earth observation constellation designed to frequently monitor the Korean Peninsula and surrounding areas for national security and disaster response.
Another five are scheduled to be launched aboard Nuri's sixth flight in the latter half of next year, according to KASA.
Once all 10 are operational, the constellation is expected to image the Korean Peninsula more than three times a day and revisit the same location within 24 hours.
"We plan to conduct at least one Nuri launch annually through 2032," Oh said. "The launches are aimed at further improving Nuri's reliability and transition toward a private-led commercial launch service system."
Citizens watch the Naro space rocket's liftoff from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, about 400 kilometers southwest of Seoul, on Oct. 7, 2026. (Yonhap)
The CubeSats aboard Wednesday's flight also reflect the shift toward smaller, standardized satellites that can be produced in larger numbers and serve a wider range of missions.
Developed by South Korean universities, companies and research institutions, the CubeSats will carry out missions ranging from monitoring space radiation and the maritime environment to testing optical communications, domestically developed electronic components and satellite propulsion technologies.
Other experiments involve growing pharmaceutical crystals in microgravity and analyzing the data using artificial intelligence (AI).
The latest mission also marks a further transition from a government-led research and development program centered on the state-run Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) toward a more industry-led model.
Hanwha Aerospace Co., which has received Nuri-related technology from KARI, has been responsible for manufacturing and assembling the rocket since its fourth launch. For the fifth launch, the defense company also participated in launch preparations and operations for the first time.
Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon hailed the fifth launch as "another milestone" for South Korea's space industry, pledging continued government support for the shift from a government-led space development model toward a more commercially driven industry.
South Korea's Nuri space rocket flies after lifting off from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, about 400 kilometers south of Seoul, on Oct. 7, 2026. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Experts say the transition could create business opportunities across the space value chain, from rocket engines, avionics and structures to ground equipment, launch services and satellite applications.
"The transition to new space is essential to create new business models and expand the scope of the space industry," said Bang Hyo-choong, a professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). "A shift toward private-sector leadership is also necessary to lower launch costs and enhance competitiveness."
But turning South Korea's independent launch capability into a globally competitive commercial service remains a major challenge.
Nuri continues to be an expendable rocket and flies far less frequently than launch vehicles operated by leading global companies, making it difficult to lower manufacturing and operating costs.
Improving reliability, increasing launch frequency and reducing costs while developing reusable launch technologies will be key to strengthening competitiveness, said Ahn Hyung-joon, head of the Space and Public Research Team at the Science and Technology Policy Institute (STEPI).
"The global market is rapidly shifting toward reusable launch vehicles and low-cost, high-frequency launches," Ahn said. "Along with improving Nuri's performance, South Korea needs to invest in next-generation space transportation technologies, including reusable launch vehicles and in-orbit transportation."
ejkim@yna.co.kr
(END)