[Nuri's Fifth Launch] Builds Reliability Through Reliable Space Transportation... Industrialization Remains a Challenge

Four consecutive successes; precise deployment of multiple satellites
Evolving into a repeatable space transportation system
Experts: "The government needs to act as an 'anchor customer'"
"Long-term public procurement should grow t

On its fifth flight, South Korea's homegrown launch vehicle Nuri carried out a more complex space transportation mission, bringing its record to four consecutive successful launches. Experts say the successful launch demonstrates that Nuri can reliably carry out space transportation missions. At the same time, they agree that it is time to consider whether the hard-won independent launch capability can be developed into a sustainable industry.

The Korean launch vehicle Nuri lifted off from Launch Pad 2 at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, at 12:25 p.m. on the 7th. Photo provided by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute.

Nuri lifted off from Launch Pad 2 at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, at 12:25 p.m. on October 7 and entered its target sun-synchronous orbit. All five primary payload satellites, the NEONSAT 2 through 6 nanosatellite cluster, separated normally at an altitude of approximately 576 kilometers, meeting the success criterion of being deployed within 15 kilometers above or below the target altitude of 570 kilometers.

For the first time, Nuri carried five primary payload satellites performing the same mission and separated them at regular intervals while changing the upper stage's orientation to avoid collisions. However, one of the 10 CubeSats onboard, PERSAT, developed by Quaternion, did not separate because its deployer cover failed to open. The Korea Aerospace Administration and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute are investigating the cause, after confirming that Nuri sent the separation command as intended.

Kang Seongju, a science communicator who runs the YouTube channel "Unreliable Science," said, "Nuri is gradually becoming a practical means of space transportation, as it has demonstrated not only that it can reach the target altitude but also that it can accurately place its payload satellites under the desired conditions."

The five NEONSAT satellites will adjust their spacing over the next two to three months to form a "satellite formation." Once the constellation is complete, it will image the Korean Peninsula more than three times a day and reobserve the same area within 24 hours. When five more satellites are added on the sixth launch, the nanosatellite constellation system will be complete, with a total of 10 satellites.

Four Consecutive Successes... Nuri Builds "Operational Heritage"

During its first launch in 2021, Nuri failed to place a satellite mock-up into the target orbit because its third-stage engine shut down earlier than planned. After the cause was addressed, the vehicle succeeded in four consecutive launches, from its second launch in 2022 through its fifth launch this time.

Repeated launches involve continuously building, testing and launching launch vehicles of consistent quality, while identifying variables in their design, manufacturing processes and operations and accumulating experience in addressing them.

Researchers monitor the launch operations of Nuri, which has entered countdown, at the Launch Control Building (MDC) at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, on the 7th, the day of the fifth launch of South Korea's homegrown launch vehicle. Still from video filmed by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute.

Ahn Hyungjun, head of the Space and Public Sector Team at the System Innovation Division of the Science and Technology Policy Institute (STEPI), said, "The significance of this success is that Nuri is no longer just a 'rocket that was successfully developed'; it is building operational heritage as a launch vehicle that can be entrusted with missions repeatedly." He added, "It has further strengthened confidence in its ability to reliably carry out actual space transportation missions."

The government and private sector alike cited reliability as the first requirement for moving to commercial launch services. Kim Sun, head of the space business at Hanwha Aerospace, said, "A launch vehicle needs to have six or seven successful launches before it can be insured, and only then can it provide launch services for paying customers." He added, "Once the advancement program is complete, we will be able to establish statistical reliability and move into full-scale commercial launch services."

The private sector's role is also expanding. For this launch, 23 Hanwha Aerospace employees participated in operations at 20 of the 22 launch-vehicle-related consoles in the Launch Control Center (LCC), with 18 of them operating the consoles directly. Starting with the sixth launch, the company will assemble each stage at its own factory, transport them to the Naro Space Center and carry out final assembly of the complete launch vehicle onsite.

"The Harder Challenge Is Commercialization"

The fact that "the private sector can launch" does not automatically mean it can "sell launch services." Domestic satellite demand alone is not enough for multiple launch vehicle companies to maintain independent production lines and launch systems, while overseas, leading companies such as SpaceX dominate the market with high launch frequency and low prices.

The Korea Aerospace Research Institute's homegrown launch vehicle Nuri soared into space, billowing flames, from Launch Pad 2 at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, at 12:25 p.m. on the 7th. Photo courtesy of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute.

Some have proposed that the government go beyond research and development (R&D) support and act as an "anchor customer" by creating steady demand for launches. This could involve bundling public satellite launch orders over several years, guaranteeing launch opportunities and providing shared infrastructure such as launch sites and test facilities. At the same time, a competitive system should be maintained to help capable companies grow, with their launch records, technological maturity and cost competitiveness assessed.

Nuri's next flight, its sixth launch, is scheduled for the second half of 2027. Five nanosatellites will again be carried as the primary payload. Efforts will continue to improve reliability through repeated launches, while also enhancing manufacturability and mass-production capability and reducing launch costs.

"Now is the time to ask what kind of industrial structure is needed to sustain the launch capabilities that are strategically necessary," Ahn said. "South Korea needs a space transportation industry policy that combines long-term public procurement with the development of a competitive private sector."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.