Nuri (KSLV-II), Korea's first orbital launcher
Nuri (KSLV-II), primer lanzador coreano en órbita
- Date
- 2022 · confidence high
- Place
- Naro Space Center, Goheung, South Jeolla, South Korea
- Credited to
- Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI)
- Field
- Movement
What it is
A three-stage liquid-fuel rocket with Korea's own 75-tonne-thrust engine, which put a payload of over a tonne into orbit on 21 June 2022. It made South Korea the seventh country to launch a one-tonne payload into orbit with its own rocket.
The first flight (October 2021) failed to place the dummy payload in orbit; the second (21 June 2022) succeeded. 'Seventh country' refers to the ability to launch a payload of a tonne or more with its own rocket.
What it led to
- operational launches of Korean satellites from Naro (2023-)
- Korean-designed liquid-fuel engines
- basis for future Korean lunar and payload programmes