Korea's Nuri rocket to carry 1st microsatellite constellation in 5th launch
Park Jae-sung, head of the space transportation division at the Korea AeroSpace Administration, speaks to reporters about preparations for the fifth launch of the Nuri rocket during a press briefing in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap
Korea's homegrown Nuri rocket will carry 15 satellites on its fifth launch next month, including five satellites that will form part of the country's first domestically launched microsatellite constellation, the space agency said Tuesday.
The launch is scheduled for Oct. 7 between 12:23 p.m. and 1:23 p.m. from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, about 330 kilometers south of Seoul, with the exact time to be decided on launch day, the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) said.
The payload consists of five New-space Earth Observation Satellite Constellation for National Safety (NEONSAT) as the primary payload and 10 CubeSats as secondary payloads. The five NEONSATs weigh about 500 kilograms combined, while the CubeSats weigh about 96 kilograms.
The mission will be Nuri's first attempt to deploy multiple satellites performing the same mission sequentially into orbit. To prevent collisions, the five NEONSATs will be released in different directions at intervals of 35 to 40 seconds.
"On its fifth launch, the Nuri rocket will attempt Korea's first satellite constellation launch mission," Park Jae-sung, head of KASA's space transportation division, said during a press briefing in Seoul. "It will mark a turning point for the country's satellite development as it advances toward mass production and constellation operations."
Each NEONSAT carries an electro-optical camera that captures images for national security and disaster response, including monitoring wildfires and floods.
The NEONSAT constellation will eventually consist of 10 satellites operating in two orbital planes. Five will be launched on Nuri's fifth flight, followed by another five on its sixth launch in 2027 to complete the constellation.
Once operational, the constellation will be able to image the Korean Peninsula more than three times a day and revisit the same location within 24 hours.
KASA said preparations are proceeding as planned, pledging to closely cooperate with related agencies to ensure a successful launch.
The satellites were mounted on Nuri's upper stage Monday, with final assembly set to be completed later this month. Last inspections will run through Oct. 5 before the rocket is moved to the launchpad the following day, according to KASA.