Why is Nuri’s fifth launch important for Korea’s space program?

The mission is designed to improve Nuri’s reliability through repeated production and launches using the same design. It also marks the first mission since Hanwha Aerospace began overseeing production and assembly as the rocket’s system integrator.

Nuri rocket readies for 5th launch

Q: What satellites will Korea’s Nuri rocket carry on its fifth launch?

Nuri will carry 15 satellites: five NEONSAT swarm microsatellites as the primary payload and 10 CubeSats as secondary payloads. The satellites will be deployed at an altitude of 570 kilometers.

Q: What will the NEONSAT satellite constellation be able to do?

Once all 10 mass-produced satellites are operational, the constellation will be able to image the Korean Peninsula at least three times a day and revisit the same location within 24 hours during emergencies such as disasters. The satellites are designed to capture high-resolution images in black and white and color.

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Summary

Korea’s homegrown Nuri rocket completed preparations at the Naro Space Center in Goheung on Tuesday, ahead of its fifth launch scheduled for around noon Wednesday. The launch is planned between 12:23 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. and is expected to last about 30 minutes. Nuri will carry 15 satellites, including five NEONSAT microsatellites and 10 CubeSats, to build launch reliability and deploy the largest payload in its history.

Key Facts

The rocket will place its payloads into a 570-kilometer orbit, 30 kilometers lower than during the fourth launch, to meet NEONSAT mission requirements.
The total payload weighs about 1,071 kilograms, compared with roughly 960 kilograms on the fourth launch.
KAIST oversaw development of the five NEONSAT Earth observation satellites, each weighing less than 100 kilograms and offering ground resolutions of 1 meter in black and white and 4 meters in color.
Hanwha Aerospace has overseen Nuri’s production and assembly as system integrator since the fourth launch last year.
When all 10 NEONSAT satellites become operational after the sixth mission in 2027, the constellation is expected to image the Korean Peninsula at least three times daily and revisit locations within 24 hours during emergencies.

By Nam Hyun-woo

Published Oct 6, 2026 11:36 am KST

LG to load test components in Nuri for test in space

The Nuri rocket moves to the launchpad in the Naro Space Center in Goheung in Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City, Tuesday. Courtesy of Korea Aerospace Research Institute

Korea’s homegrown Nuri rocket completed preparations for liftoff on Tuesday, a day before its fifth launch, scheduled for around noon.

According to the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), Nuri arrived at the launchpad at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City, around 7:40 a.m. and was erected and secured at 10:30 a.m.

KASA plans to hold its launch management committee around 8:45 a.m. Wednesday to finalize the launch time. Liftoff is planned between 12:23 p.m. and 1:30 p.m., with the flight expected to last about 30 minutes.

The fifth launch is intended to build Nuri’s reliability through repeated production and launches using the same design, while placing its largest-ever number of satellites into orbit. Since the fourth launch last year, Hanwha Aerospace has been overseeing the production and assembly process as the rocket’s system integrator.

The Nuri will carry 15 satellites on its fifth launch: five NEONSAT swarm microsatellites as the primary payload and 10 CubeSats as secondary payloads. The total payload weight is about 1,071 kilograms, up from roughly 960 kilograms on the fourth launch.

The rocket is set to deploy the satellites at an altitude of 570 kilometers, 30 kilometers lower than on the fourth launch, to meet the orbital requirements of the NEONSATs’ mission.

The Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology oversaw the development of the five NEONSAT satellites. Each is an Earth observation satellite weighing less than 100 kilograms, designed to capture high-resolution images with a ground resolution of 1 meter in black and white and 4 meters in color.

Five additional satellites are scheduled to launch aboard Nuri on its sixth mission in 2027. Once the constellation of 10 mass-produced satellites is operational, it will be able to image the Korean Peninsula at least three times a day and revisit the same location within 24 hours in emergencies such as disasters.

LG Group will place five components developed by its affiliates aboard the CubeSat for testing in space. They include a camera module from LG Innotek, a battery pack from LG Energy Solution and a power module, an attitude control actuator and a satellite communications antenna from LG Electronics.

The camera module will capture images of the Korean Peninsula and transmit the data, while the power module and attitude control actuator will manage the satellite’s power and orientation. The battery pack will supply power and collect data on its operating status.

The components are commercially available products with proven reliability on Earth. The tests will help the companies adapt them for use in space, LG Group said.

LG to load test components in Nuri for test in space

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