The fifth launch of South Korea's Nuri rocket is set for October 7, carrying five mass-produced small cluster satellites into space for national security and disaster response. This marks the first instance of operating practical mass-produced Earth observation satellites simultaneously in the country.
On September 15, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute and the Korea Space Agency held a press briefing in Jongno-gu, Seoul, to discuss the upcoming launch and the primary missions of the satellites.
According to the agencies, the Nuri rocket will launch between 12:23 PM and 1:23 PM on October 7, with a preliminary launch period from October 8 to 14. The rocket aims for a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 570 kilometers. Transport of the Nuri rocket will begin at 6 AM on October 6, the day before the launch, with operations for liquid oxygen supply and tank cooling starting at 4:45 AM on launch day.
The fifth Nuri launch will carry a total of 15 satellites, including five primary small cluster satellites (NeonSat 2-6) and ten secondary CubeSats.
This launch will challenge the deployment of the five NeonSat satellites into orbit sequentially, all performing the same mission. The satellites will capture detailed images of the Korean Peninsula to quickly identify disaster areas and conduct precise observations of key national security regions. The space agency plans to launch the remaining five satellites in a sixth launch next year.
To accommodate this mission, the payload weight of the Nuri rocket has increased by approximately 100 kg. Park Jong-chan, head of the KARI launch vehicle advancement division, stated, "While we did not significantly change the design of the Nuri rocket itself, we made some adjustments to the satellite payload design. We added an expandable payload adapter to arrange the primary satellites and CubeSats more densely."
For the first time, a low-impact satellite separation device will be used. This new device reduces the shock transmitted to the satellites during separation from about 2000 times the force of gravity to approximately 1000 times. Park emphasized, "The most technically important aspect of the fifth launch is ensuring that the satellites do not collide and are placed into their intended orbits. We are closely monitoring the precise attitude control and management systems of the primary payloads."
The cluster satellites will be separated sequentially about 810 seconds after launch, with intervals of 35 to 40 seconds. The CubeSats will be deployed in pairs every 10 seconds starting approximately 16 minutes and 15 seconds after launch.
The ten CubeSats will demonstrate space technologies developed by companies, universities, and research institutions. DaejeonSat 1 will focus on Earth observation and satellite self-imaging, while Yulisis will monitor fine dust and validate computers for lunar exploration. The SpaceLink satellite will test the crystallization of candidate substances for dementia treatments and onboard AI. The remaining satellites will validate space performance in areas such as optical communication, marine debris and cosmic radiation observation, and domestic memory, electric propulsion, and reaction wheel technologies.
This fifth launch will also expand the transfer of private launch technology. Hanwha Aerospace, the prime contractor, will participate as the main operator for about 75% of the ground control systems that have allowed technology transfer. The number of personnel involved has increased from around 30 to approximately 44. Park noted, "In the sixth launch, the prime contractor will directly operate the entire ground control system, excluding items for which technology transfer is not permitted, and from the eighth launch onward, we will pursue a plan for them to lead the launches."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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