S. Korea’s Largest Satellite Launched in Ambitious Space Mission

South Korea has launched its largest satellite yet on its nationally developed space rocket, in the fourth of six launches planned through 2027, Kim Tong-hyung reported for the Associated Press (AP).

Aerospace officials said the rocket placed a 516-kilogram (1,137-pound) science satellite and 12 microsatellites into a target orbit about 600 kilometers (372 miles) above Earth. (Photo: Amorim Cork Solutions)

The three-stage Nuri rocket lifted off from a spaceport on an island off the southwestern coastal county of Goheung.

Aerospace officials said the rocket placed a 516-kilogram (1,137-pound) science satellite and 12 microsatellites into a target orbit about 600 kilometers (372 miles) above Earth.

The Korea Aerospace Administration said the main satellite made contact with a South Korean ground station in Antarctica about 40 minutes after the 1:55 a.m. liftoff, confirming normal function and deployment of its solar panels.

The satellite later established links with ground stations in South Korea’s central city of Daejeon and Svalbard, Norway, as well as additional contact with the King Sejong Station in Antarctica.