South Korea successfully launches Nuri launch vehicle and becomes 11th space power in the world

On June 21, 2022, at 07:00 Coordinated Universal Time, the Naro Space Center in South Korea successfully launched the Nuri (Korean) launch vehicle, also known as the KSLV-II (Korean Space Launch Vehicle-II). South Korea has become the 11th country in the world to independently develop and launch artificial satellites of the Earth on its own launch vehicles.

KSLV-II is the first launch vehicle, fully developed and manufactured in South Korea. In the creation of the previous Naro-1 missile, or KSLV Korean specialists were helped by the Russians. Moreover, the first stage of KSLV was modified Russian Angara. It is ridiculous that Russia was helping the space programs of South and North Korea at the same time. Interestingly, the technically backward North Korea launched its own satellite much earlier than its enemy/neighbor – back in December 2012.

The three-stage KSLV-II can lift up to 1.5 tons of payload into low Earth orbit. The first failed launch of the Nuri took place in October 2021, but its third stage shut down early and could not deliver the cargo into orbit. This time everything worked out.

Nuri launched into orbit at a height of 700 km mass-scale model of the satellite (1.3 tons) and four university CubeSats with a total weight of 180 kg.

It is estimated that only 11 countries are currently developing or have developed their own launch vehicles and satellites and have the ability to launch artificial objects into Earth orbit. These are the USSR/Russia, the USA, France, Japan, China, Great Britain, India, Israel, Ukraine, Iran, North Korea, and South Korea has joined them. Interestingly, some countries, such as Ukraine and the United Kingdom, have partially lost this opportunity.