Launch Succeeds, But South Korean Nuri Rocket Fails To Orbit Satellite

摘要

South Korea successfully launched its first domestically developed and manufactured launch vehicle to space on Oct. 21, but the Korea Space Launch Vehicle II (KSLV-II) “Nuri” failed to place a dummy satellite into orbit as planned. The Nuri rocket lifted off from the Naro Space Center in the south of the Korean peninsula, after strong winds delayed the launch by an hour. President Moon Jae-in told local media after witnessing the liftoff that all three stages of the rocket worked, taking it to an altitude of 700 km (430 mi.). He said the 1.5-metric-ton dummy payload separated successfully, but did not enter orbit.