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South Korea plans domestic rocket launch in weeks
Source: Agencies |
April 13, 2010, Tuesday
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SOUTH Korea plans to try as early as next month to send one of its satellites into orbit in a domestic rocket launch after its first and only attempt last year ended in failure, an official said today.
South Korea has been trying to build a domestic space programme that can eventually challenge the far more advanced programmes of regional rivals China, India and Japan. It has enlisted Russia's help to develop a rocket called Naro-1.
"Our original plan was to have a second launch between the second half of May and the first half of June," said an official from the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, which is expected to announce the actual launch date next Monday.
Naro-1 lifted off successfully in its launch in August 2009 but failed to put a scientific satellite into orbit because of problems in stage-separation systems, dealing a blow to the country's nascent space programme.
South Korea will try to place another scientific satellite into orbit at the Naro launch held at its space facility in Goheung, about 340 kms (210 miles) south of Seoul.
South Korea's launch last year riled neighbour North Korea.
Pyongyang said it was unjust for it to be hit with UN sanctions for firing off a long-range rocket in April 2009, but regional powers saw the launch as a disguised test of a ballistic missile that violated UN measures.
Apart from North Korea, few doubt the South's rocket was for anything but its civilian space programme, although experts said it did raise questions about regional security because it could also enhance Seoul's ability to build ballistic missiles.
The Naro-1, also called the Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1, was 33 metres (108 ft) long. The two-stage rocket was built at a cost of 502.5 billion won (US$450.7 million).
Russia's Khrunichev space production centre built the first-stage booster, conducted tests and provided technical assistance. South Korea has produced several satellites and relied on countries including Russia to put them into orbit.
South Korea wants to build a rocket on its own by 2018 and send a probe to monitor the moon by 2025. It also wants to develop a commercial service to launch satellites.
South Korea has been trying to build a domestic space programme that can eventually challenge the far more advanced programmes of regional rivals China, India and Japan. It has enlisted Russia's help to develop a rocket called Naro-1.
"Our original plan was to have a second launch between the second half of May and the first half of June," said an official from the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, which is expected to announce the actual launch date next Monday.
Naro-1 lifted off successfully in its launch in August 2009 but failed to put a scientific satellite into orbit because of problems in stage-separation systems, dealing a blow to the country's nascent space programme.
South Korea will try to place another scientific satellite into orbit at the Naro launch held at its space facility in Goheung, about 340 kms (210 miles) south of Seoul.
South Korea's launch last year riled neighbour North Korea.
Pyongyang said it was unjust for it to be hit with UN sanctions for firing off a long-range rocket in April 2009, but regional powers saw the launch as a disguised test of a ballistic missile that violated UN measures.
Apart from North Korea, few doubt the South's rocket was for anything but its civilian space programme, although experts said it did raise questions about regional security because it could also enhance Seoul's ability to build ballistic missiles.
The Naro-1, also called the Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1, was 33 metres (108 ft) long. The two-stage rocket was built at a cost of 502.5 billion won (US$450.7 million).
Russia's Khrunichev space production centre built the first-stage booster, conducted tests and provided technical assistance. South Korea has produced several satellites and relied on countries including Russia to put them into orbit.
South Korea wants to build a rocket on its own by 2018 and send a probe to monitor the moon by 2025. It also wants to develop a commercial service to launch satellites.
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