Naro set to lift off

Locally-made rocket to be launched this afternoon

Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1 (KSLV-1), colloquially called Naro, sits on the launch pad at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, Wednesday. / Yonhap

GOHEUNG, South Jeolla Province – Korea is set to launch a locally assembled rocket today with officials hoping that this time it will succeed.

The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said Wednesday that the final checks were completed without problems and it will proceed with the launch as scheduled.

This is Korea’s third attempt to send a domestically-made rocket into orbit and join the global space race.

Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1 (KSLV-1), colloquially called Naro, will lift off between 4 p.m. and 6:55 p.m. today. The precise time will be announced at 1:30 p.m.

Weather forecasts say it will be slightly cloudy with a low possibility of rain in Goheung where the Naro Space Center is located.

The third attempt was initially planned for Oct. 26 last month but was canceled due to a gas leak during preparations for liftoff. It was later discovered that a seal and adapter were broken.

The malfunctioning parts have been replaced, said KARI, and they have fixed the problems to make another delay unlikely.

“We have replaced the problematic adapter and seal. We ran tests and checkups. Other tasks have been successfully accomplished so we believe everything is prepared for launch,” said Park Jeong-ju, a KARI official directly involved with KSLV-1’s development.

The checks that started at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday inspected the first and second stages of the rocket, the tracking system and included an analysis of possible collisions with objects in space.

The first stage is Russian made and uses kerosene as fuel. The locally-made second stage uses solid fuel and contains a satellite as its payload.

A further delay could still occur if there are unexpected contingencies during the final preparations, said a KARI official. “The goal is to succeed so we aren’t going to rush things if something happens.”

Two previous failed attempts in 2009 and 2010 were also delayed from their first launch date. The first rocket reached orbit but failed to release its payload. The second rocket exploded minutes after liftoff.

“The third launch of Naro is not a one-time event but an important process for Korea to independently build a rocket and it will be the foundation for Korea to become a space powerhouse,” said a ministry spokesman.

The three launch attempts of the KSLV-1 have so far cost over 520 billion won. The government plans to continue its space project regardless of the outcome of the launch to build a larger and more sophisticated sequel called KSLV-2. It is expected to cost over 1.5 trillion won. <The Korea Times/Cho Mu-hyun>