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1h ago

Nuri Rocket Deploys 15 Satellites on Fifth Flight

Demonstrating industry-led manufacturing, the flight prepares South Korea to finish its NEONSAT Earth‑observation constellation in 2027.

South Korea's Nuri space rocket lifts off from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, about 400 kilometers south of Seoul, on Oct. 7, 2026. (Yonhap)
President Lee Jae Myung (C) shakes hands with Lee Hai-min (L), senior presidential secretary for AI policy and future planning, while watching a live broadcast of rocket Nuri's launch from Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Oct. 7, 2026, in this photo provided by his office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Citizens watch the Naro space rocket's liftoff from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, about 400 kilometers southwest of Seoul, on Oct. 7, 2026. (Yonhap)
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Overview

  • South Korea’s Nuri rocket lifted off from Naro Space Center and completed a roughly 20-minute mission that placed 15 satellites into a ~575 km sun‑synchronous orbit on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026.
  • The primary payload delivered five NEONSAT microsatellites sequentially at 35–40 second intervals using a rotating upper stage to prevent collisions.
  • Each NEONSAT weighs under 100 kg and carries electro‑optical cameras with about 1‑meter black‑and‑white and 4‑meter color resolution to speed imaging of the Korean Peninsula for security and disaster response.
  • Nine of 10 secondary CubeSats deployed as planned but Quaternion’s PERSAT‑02 failed to separate and KASA has opened an investigation into the anomaly.
  • Hanwha Aerospace manufactured this flight’s vehicle as part of a planned shift to industry-led launches, the mission raised Nuri’s overall success rate to about 80 percent, and a sixth Nuri launch is scheduled in the latter half of 2027 to place the remaining five NEONSATs.