South Korea Launches First Orbital Mission of 2023
On October 6, South Korea achieved a significant milestone with the launch of its first orbital mission of the year. The homegrown Nuri rocket lifted off from the Naro Space Center, successfully carrying 15 satellites into space.
Liftoff occurred at 11:25 p.m. EDT (0325 GMT and 12:25 p.m. local time on October 7). According to the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), everything went smoothly except for one payload that failed to deploy as planned.
Among the successfully deployed satellites, five are microsatellites for South Korea’s New-space Earth Observation Satellite Constellation for National Safety (NEONSAT) network. Each NEONSAT weighs under 100 kilograms and features an electro-optical camera capable of distinguishing objects as small as 1 meter in black-and-white imagery.
These satellites are intended to monitor the Korean Peninsula and surrounding areas for national security and disaster response.
Two NEONSAT satellites had previously launched aboard Rocket Lab Electron vehicles in April 2024 and January 2023. An additional five NEONSAT satellites are set to launch on Nuri rockets in the coming year.
The remaining 10 satellites launched are cubesats contributed by various operators. Unfortunately, one cubesat, PERSAT02 developed by a South Korean company, failed to deploy.
The Nuri rocket, also known as KSLV-II, stands at 155 feet tall and represents South Korea’s first fully homegrown orbital launcher. After an unsuccessful debut in October 2021, the vehicle has achieved four successive successes.
KARI expressed gratitude to the public for their support and declared that this launch further enhances Nuri’s capabilities to deploy multiple satellites accurately in a single mission.
