The domestically developed Korea Space Launch Vehicle-II (KSLV-2), also known as Nuri, on Oct. 21 last year lifts off from the Naro Space Center in Goheung-gun County, Jeollanam-do Province. (President Moon Jae-in’s official Facebook account)
By Jung Joo-ri and Kim Hayeon
The second launch of the domestically developed Korea Space Launch Vehicle-II, aka Nuri, is slated for June 15.
The Ministry of Science and ICT on Feb. 25 said the 40th meeting of the Space Development Promotion Working Committee confirmed measures on remedial technical supplementation and formulation of future plans.
The tentative launch date is June 15 and the preliminary launch period is June 16-23. The final date will be approved a month before launch by the Launch Management Committee based on the weather.
Nuri’s first launch last year on Oct. 21 confirmed Korea’s capacity in core rocket propulsion technologies but the third-stage engine saw its combustion end earlier than planned. Thus its dummy satellite failed to enter the targeted orbit.
From November to December last year, the ministry commissioned a government committee to study the failure. The conclusion was that the loosening of a support anchor for the helium tank inside the third-stage oxidizer tank was to blame.
The ministry later cited redesign and reinforcement of the structure of the support for the lower part of the helium tank and the manhole cover of the third-stage oxidizer tank as major improvements for Nuri before the second launch.When redesign of this segment is completed, experts from the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) will disassemble and reassemble the three-stage engine to test tightness.Another month is believed to be needed to assemble the first-, second- and third-stage engines and load a satellite onto Nuri to verify the rocket’s performance. Due to such circumstances, the ministry said the launch schedule was postponed from May to June.
Kwon Hyun-joon, director-general of the ministry’s Space, Nuclear and Big Science Policy, said, “KARI and related industries are doing their best to ensure technological supplementation for Nuri,” adding, “The government will do its best to make sure that preparation for Nuri’s second launch will proceed smoothly.”
etoilejr@korea.kr
