"Korea-style launch vehicle" Nuri will launch at dawn on Nov. 27.
The Korea AeroSpace Administration said on the 30th that on the 29th it held a pre-shipment review meeting for the Nuri rocket's main payload, Next-generation Medium Satellite No. 3, and set Nov. 27 as the target launch date, with the launch window between 12:54 a.m. and 1:14 a.m.
The space agency held the 1st "Nuri 4th launch Launch Management Committee" meeting 26th and comprehensively reviewed preparations for the 4th launch of Nuri. It then set the launch date on the 29th, reflecting the results of the pre-shipment review meeting for Next-generation Medium Satellite No. 3, the main payload. The exact launch time will be finalized the day before the launch (26th) through the Launch Management Committee.
An official at the space agency said, "At this Launch Management Committee, we closely reviewed the preparation status for the 4th launch of Nuri, including Nuri's final assembly schedule, satellite schedule, Naro Space Center (launch pad, range system, etc.), and launch conditions (weather, space environment, potential collision with space objects), and set Nov. 27 as the target launch date," adding, "Considering the possibility of schedule changes due to weather and other unexpected variables, we set the backup launch dates from Nov. 28 to Dec. 4."
In addition, taking into account the mission orbit (altitude 600 km) of Next-generation Medium Satellite No. 3, the main payload, the launch window was set between 12:54 a.m. and 1:14 a.m. The primary missions of No. 3 are observing Earth's auroras and airglow, and measuring the space magnetic field and plasma.
A review of launch readiness at the Launch Management Committee found that, following the oxidizer wet dress rehearsal (WDR) successfully completed 18th, preparations for the actual launch—such as installing pyrotechnics and integrating the satellites—are proceeding smoothly. The committee also checked progress on the 13 satellites to be carried by Nuri. The pre-shipment review meeting, the final pre-launch check for the satellites, has been completed, and the satellites are scheduled to be delivered to the space center by the end of Oct.
At Naro Space Center, two performance verification tests were conducted to maintain the performance of the launch pad system, and because this 4th launch of Nuri will take place in the early morning hours, night operation drills were also carried out. The results of building and commissioning the fueling facilities for hydrazine, the satellite fuel used by Next-generation Medium Satellite No. 3, were also reviewed. Starting in Nov., the center will switch to launch-ready status to prepare for 4th launch operations.
Yun Young-bin, head of the space agency, said, "There was a gap of about 2 years and 6 months since the 3rd launch of Nuri, but the space agency, KARI, the system integrator, and related industries are working as one team to prepare for the launch. We will prepare without a single error through launch day to ensure the success of the 4th launch."