Nuri rocket set for 5th launch to place 15 satellites into orbit

Korea's homegrown Nuri rocket is set for its fifth launch Wednesday, carrying 15 satellites, including five that will form part of the country's first domestically launched microsatellite constellation.

The launch is scheduled for around 12:25 p.m. from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, Jeonnam-Gwangju, with the exact time to be decided later in the morning, according to the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA).

The payload consists of five New-space Earth Observation Satellite Constellation for National Safety (Neonsat) microsatellites and 10 CubeSats.

About four hours before liftoff, the launch team will begin filling the three-stage rocket with kerosene fuel and liquid oxygen oxidizer after completing system checks.

Nuri's first and second stages will separate about 123 and 268 seconds after liftoff, respectively, with satellite deployment beginning between 810 and 960 seconds at an altitude of around 575 kilometers (357 miles).

The five Neonsats, Nos. 2 through 6, will be deployed at intervals of 35 to 40 seconds, with Nuri's upper stage rotating by about 45 degrees between each separation to prevent collisions. The 10 CubeSats will then be deployed two at a time at 10-second intervals.

After releasing all 15 satellites, Nuri will perform a collision-avoidance maneuver and vent its remaining fuel, completing its flight about 20 minutes after liftoff. The rocket will then remain in orbit before eventually reentering Earth's atmosphere and burning up.

The Korea Aerospace Research Institute will track the flight from facilities in Korea and Palau in the western Pacific.

The fifth flight will mark Nuri's first attempt to sequentially deploy multiple primary satellites designed to perform the same mission.

Each Neonsat weighs less than 100 kilograms (220 pounds) and carries an electro-optical camera that can distinguish objects as small as 1 meter (3.2 feet) in black-and-white images and 4 meters in color images.

The satellites will monitor the Korean Peninsula and surrounding areas for national security and disaster response.

The Neonsat constellation will eventually consist of 10 satellites. Another five will launch aboard Nuri's sixth flight, scheduled for next year, to complete the constellation.

Once fully operational, the constellation will be capable of imaging the Korean Peninsula more than three times a day and revisiting the same location within 24 hours.

Yonhap