Nuri rocket deploys 5 satellites for S. Korea's first microsatellite constellation

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By Kim Eun-jung

GOHEUNG, South Korea, Oct. 7 (Yonhap) -- South Korea successfully deployed five satellites for its first domestically launched microsatellite constellation during the fifth flight of its homegrown Nuri rocket Wednesday, the space agency said.

The 200-ton Nuri blasted off from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, about 400 kilometers south of Seoul, at 12:25 p.m. and completed its flight about 20 minutes later.

The rocket successfully deployed its primary payload of five New-space Earth Observation Satellite Constellation for National Safety (NEONSAT) microsatellites, while nine of its 10 CubeSat secondary payloads were released as planned, according to the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA).

The five NEONSATs, Nos. 2 through 6, were deployed 35 to 40 seconds apart, with Nuri's upper stage rotating about 45 degrees between each separation.

The fifth flight marked Nuri's first attempt to sequentially deploy multiple primary satellites designed to perform the same mission, demonstrating a key capability needed to launch and operate satellite constellations.

KASA said NEONSAT No. 6 successfully made initial contact with South Korea's King Sejong Station in Antarctica. Initial contacts with the other four satellites were expected to be completed by around 4:30 p.m.

While nine CubeSats were successfully deployed in pairs at 10-second intervals, PERSAT-02, developed by South Korean startup Quaternion, failed to separate from the rocket, according to KASA.

After releasing the satellites, Nuri performed a collision-avoidance maneuver and vented its remaining fuel. The rocket will remain in orbit before eventually reentering Earth's atmosphere and burning up.

The mission was Nuri's fifth launch overall and its fourth consecutive success after its maiden flight failed in 2021, raising its overall launch success rate from 75 percent to 80 percent.

"The success of the fifth launch further enhanced the reliability of the Nuri rocket," KASA Administrator Oh Tae-seok said. "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."

Each NEONSAT weighs less than 100 kilograms and carries an electro-optical camera capable of distinguishing objects as small as 1 meter in black-and-white images and 4 meters in color images.

The satellites will monitor the Korean Peninsula and surrounding areas for national security and disaster response.

The NEONSAT constellation will eventually consist of 10 satellites. Another five will be launched aboard Nuri's sixth flight scheduled for in the latter half of 2027 to complete the constellation, Oh said.

Once fully operational, the constellation will be capable of imaging the Korean Peninsula more than three times a day and revisiting the same location within 24 hours.

Wednesday's flight also marks a further shift 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, was responsible for manufacturing the rocket for the fifth launch and also participated in launch operations.

Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon hailed the fifth launch as "another milestone" for South Korea's space industry, citing the successful deployment of multiple satellites for a constellation and the growing role of private companies in the country's space program.

Bae pledged continued government support for additional launches led by the private sector as South Korea seeks to shift from a government-led space development model toward a more commercially driven industry.

ejkim@yna.co.kr
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