On the day of the fifth launch of the Nuri rocket, the sky over Goheung, Jeonnam, was clear without a cloud in sight. Banners reading 'Wishing for the success of the Nuri rocket's fifth launch' fluttered in the wind along the roads leading to the Naro Space Center.
Citizens flocked to the Goheung Space Launch Site from the previous evening into the early morning to witness the launch. The parking lot was filled with dozens of vehicles, with some citizens camping overnight. Others played board games while waiting for the launch moment.
As the launch time approached, spectators folded their umbrellas and gathered at the front of the observation deck.
At 12:25 PM, the Nuri rocket soared into the sky with a thunderous roar, eliciting gasps from the crowd. Some spectators were startled by the loud noise but remained transfixed on the rocket's trajectory. Children watched in awe as the Nuri rocket ascended rapidly, cheering as it disappeared from view. More than 400 citizens were reported to have visited the Goheung Space Launch Site that day.
The Naro Space Center also hosted a public observation event. The Korea Aerospace Administration invited eight students, including undergraduates and graduate students from domestic aerospace engineering programs and high school participants from the Space Camp.
Jang Jeong-woo, a student from KAIST's Department of Aerospace Engineering, said, "Seeing it in person is overwhelming. I want to research electric propulsion when I return to school."
Kim Han-heum, a student from the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Gyeongsang National University, noted, "I watched the fourth launch from a distance, but this time I could see it up close. This experience sparked my interest in rocket materials, particularly fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP)."
The fifth launch of the Nuri rocket tested the multi-satellite transport capability of domestic launch vehicles. The Nuri rocket carried a record 15 satellites into space. It launched on schedule without delays, successfully separating the first stage, fairing, and second stage in sequence.
Approximately 12 minutes and 30 seconds after liftoff, the Nuri rocket ended its third-stage engine burn, reaching an altitude of 575.4 kilometers, meeting the target altitude of 570 kilometers within the allowable range of ±15 kilometers.
Subsequently, the primary payload satellites, the small cluster satellites No. 2 to 6, were released one by one at intervals of 35 to 40 seconds. To prevent collisions between satellites, the rocket's upper stage adjusted its orientation to deploy each satellite in different directions. This was the first time the Nuri rocket deployed five primary payload satellites into their target orbits simultaneously.
Kim Jin-hee, head of the satellite division at the Korea Space Agency, stated, "The global trend is to produce multiple relatively inexpensive small satellites for cluster operations. This launch will serve as a catalyst for expanding the ecosystem related to low-cost small satellites and cluster satellites."
Of the ten secondary payload CubeSats, nine were also successfully deployed in sequence. The one CubeSat from Quaternion that was not deployed will undergo further analysis to determine the cause of the failure.
The government is committed to developing the aerospace industry as a future business. President Lee Jae-myung has directed that there should be at least one launch per year since taking office. Originally, six launches of the Nuri rocket were planned from 2021 to 2027, but with an increase in project funding of 328 billion won, five additional launches are now scheduled through 2032.
As a result, the current administration achieved two launches in just 17 months, compared to the previous government's two launches over 36 months. Plans are in place to increase the number of launches further.
The Korea Space Agency is preparing for the sixth Nuri launch, targeted for the second half of 2027. Hanwha Aerospace's role will expand significantly for this launch, with the company expected to take a leading role in most launch preparation and operations, excluding some key tasks.
Park Jong-chan, head of the Nuri rocket advancement project at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, said, "The major areas not operated by Hanwha Aerospace during the fifth launch were the payload computer, control computer, and some propellant supply systems. For the sixth launch, we plan to expand Hanwha Aerospace's participation to allow the private sector to take a more proactive role in launch preparation and operations."
Kim Sun, vice president of Hanwha Aerospace, added, "We expect to participate in nearly all consoles for the sixth launch and will continue to enhance our launch operation capabilities to ensure that the technologies secured by the state are effectively transferred to the private sector for commercialization."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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