South Korea successfully launches Nuri; becomes 10th nation to deploy own satellites

South Korea successfully launched its Korea Satellite Launch Vehicle-II (KSLV-II), for the second time ever on June 21. The rocket, which is also called Nuri lifted off from the Naro Space Center at 4 pm local time [12:30 pm IST] with five satellites for their deployment in the low-Earth orbit. The three-stage Nuri's success marks Seoul's second launch of the rocket made completely from homegrown technology. 

Notably, the second launch builds up on Seoul's first rocket launch last October, wherein the satellites reached their desired altitude of 700 km but could not be deployed due to the third stage engine shutting down prematurely.

South Korea joins the list of major space powers

According to France 24, South Korea's YTN Television confirmed the separation of the satellites from the rocket fairing followed by successful deployment of the satellites. With this milestone, Seoul has become the 10th nation to launch its own satellites and joined the list of major space powers such as the US, Russia, and Europe and its Asian neighbours China, India and Japan. Additionally, it has also became the seventh nation capable of launching rockets that can carry multiple one-tonne satellites. For Tuesday's launch, Nuri was carrying a 180-kg performance satellite and four small satellites from local Korean universities. 

Following the mission's success, South Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol expressed his elation saying that his country has opened the "path to space" with Nuri. The Yonhap News Agency reported that he has even pledged to establish an aerospace agency to provide systematic support to Seoul's space agency. 

As for the rocket itself, it has been developed after a decade's work and capital worth $1.5 billion. Weighing 200 tonnes, the rocket is 154 feet long and has four KRE-075 engines in its first stage and one engine each in the second and third stages. 

Seoul eyes missile development

Ahead of Nuri's launch on Tuesday, Kwon Yong Soo, a former professor at Korea National Defense University in South Korea had hinted about developing a missile using Nuri's technology. "If you put a satellite on the top of a rocket, it would become a space launch vehicle. But if you mount a warhead on it, it becomes a weapon", Yong Soo said as per the Associated Press. "If we succeed in Nuri’s launch, it’s really meaningful because we also succeed in the test of a long-range rocket that can be used to build a long-range missile".