Launching from Naro Space Center starting at 12:23 PM on the 7th

South Korea's space launch vehicle, Nuri, is set for its fifth space flight on the 7th from the Naro Space Center, carrying a record-breaking 15 satellites. The core mission is to precisely and sequentially eject the satellites into a 570km altitude without collisions, allowing them to successfully settle into orbit. Through the participation of a system integration enterprise, this mission aims to strengthen private-led launch operation capabilities.

South Korea's space launch vehicle, 'Nuri', will embark on its fifth space flight on the 7th at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, Jeollanam-do. The core mission will involve carrying the largest number of satellites to date and ejecting all 15 of them sequentially at intervals of tens of seconds without collision at an altitude of 570km.

According to the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) on the 5th, Nuri's 5th flight model has completed the mechanical final assembly connecting the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd stages along with final inspections, and will finally be moved to the launch pad on the 6th. Once erected, airtightness tests will be conducted to ensure there are no blockages or leaks during the fuel or oxidizer loading processes. On the 7th, when launch operations begin, comprehensive inspections will be carried out focusing on the fuel and electrical systems. The scheduled launch time window is between 12:23 PM and 1:23 PM. The launch time was set for daytime so that micro-cluster satellites 2 through 6 would reach orbit and observe the Korean Peninsula and other regions under consistent solar illumination conditions around 12:30 PM.

Nuri's 5th flight model carries 15 satellites in total, including 5 main payload micro-cluster satellites named 'NeonSat' (Numbers 2 through 6) and 10 secondary payload CubeSats. This surpasses the 8 satellites of the 3rd launch and the 13 satellites of the 4th launch, making it the most ever. The total weight of the satellite section is approximately 1,071kg, which has increased from about 960kg in the 4th launch, and the design has also been modified.

The target altitude for this launch is 570km, chosen as a suitable orbit for micro-cluster satellites to observe the Earth while ensuring smooth ground communication. Breaking away from the Naro Space Center, Nuri will begin ejecting the 5 NeonSats one by one at 35 to 40-second intervals starting approximately 13 minutes and 30 seconds after liftoff. During this process, precise technology is required to control the attitude to prevent satellite collisions while releasing them in different directions, ensuring all 5 satellites are placed within an error range of 15km based on a 570km altitude. Next, 10 CubeSats will be ejected in pairs at 10-second intervals across five separate sequences. The order of ejection is as follows: Cosmoworks & Chosun University, ONB Space & KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), Quaternion & Unmanned Exploration Lab, Space & Bean & KARI, and Daejeon City & Space Lintech. Ejection will begin with the smallest 3U (Unit, where 1U is 10cm in width, length, and height) satellites and conclude with the separation of the largest 16U Daejeon City satellite. After separating all satellites, Nuri will perform evasion maneuvers to prevent collisions with the satellites, discharge remaining fuel, complete its flight 19 minutes and 45 seconds after launch, and re-enter the atmosphere due to Earth's gravity to burn up and disappear.

Among the secondary payload CubeSats, KAIST’s 'GB-Sat' will observe high-energy proton fluxes aligned with the Earth's magnetic field, while 'DaejeonSat-1', built by a local space company commissioned by Daejeon City, will verify space corporate payload technologies and observe urban spatial changes in the Daejeon area. KARI will also use its second domestic component space verification platform CubeSat to conduct in-space demonstrations of SK Hynix's DRAM and NAND flash memory, as well as high-speed, precision-adjusting mirrors for optical communications.

Han Young-min, head of the Korea Space Launch Vehicle Program at KARI, stated, "The technical goal of Nuri's 5th launch is to accurately place all 15 satellites into orbit. From an operational perspective, our goal is to expand the role of the system integration enterprise so that it can independently launch and operate satellites after the 6th and 7th launches."

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]