Nuri, Korea's homegrown launch vehicle set for its fourth liftoff at 1 a.m. on the 27th this month, has completed all assembly and final checks and begun being loaded onto its transport vehicle, the "transporter." On the 24th, three days before launch, Nuri effectively finished launch preparations and entered the full-fledged transport process to the launchpad.
A Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) official said, "We are currently in the process of placing Nuri on the transporter to move it to the launchpad, and its overall condition is stable."
The fourth launch of Nuri comes 2 years and 6 months after the third launch. In particular, this launch is seen as a turning point in which Korea's launch vehicle development moves into the "industrial phase," with Hanwha Aerospace fully taking on manufacturing and assembly. The payload configuration also differs significantly from the previous three launches. The third launch carried the second next-generation small satellite and seven CubeSats, but this time a medium-class satellite and 12 CubeSats will be onboard.
For the fourth launch, Nuri completed assembly of the first and second stages after Chuseok, and last week finished integration with the third stage carrying the satellites. The main payload, the third next-generation medium satellite, arrived at Naro Space Center on Oct. 14, and the 12 secondary CubeSats were delivered on Oct. 20, 29, and 31. Detailed procedures followed, including charging satellite power, checking various functions, and sealing inspection ports to protect against external environments.
Starting on the 24th, Nuri was loaded onto the transporter and entered preparations to move to the launchpad. Once loading onto the transporter is complete, Nuri will leave the assembly building on the morning of the 25th and move to Launch Pad 2. For safety, the rocket will be transported in a horizontal position, and after arriving at the pad, it will be raised vertically again using equipment called an "erector."
At the launchpad, the "umbilical tower" will be connected to Nuri to check the lines that supply fuel and oxidizer as well as various electronic and communication cables. The umbilical tower is a connection device that supplies power, fuel, coolant, and more until the launch vehicle lifts off. This will be followed by a leak-tightness test to verify airtightness inside the vehicle and electronic equipment tests to verify core systems.
On the 26th, a comprehensive check of all equipment will focus on the fuel and electrical systems, and full-scale launch operations will begin. Starting four hours before launch, the process of loading kerosene-based fuel and liquid oxygen will begin. If all systems are confirmed normal, "programmed launch operation (PLO)," which automatically runs the launch sequence from 10 minutes before liftoff, will be activated. The ground hold-downs will release the moment the first-stage engine thrust reaches the target of 300 tons, and Nuri will lift off.
The likely launch time for Nuri is around 12:55 a.m. on the 27th. The launch time will be finalized by the Launch Management Committee after a comprehensive review of weather conditions on launch day and the risk of collision with space objects.
About 807 seconds (13 minutes 27 seconds) after liftoff, Nuri will first separate its main payload, the third next-generation medium satellite, at an altitude of 600 kilometers. Then, the 12 CubeSats built by domestic corporations, universities, and research institutes will be deployed in sequence, two at a time at roughly 20-second intervals. Once all separations are complete, Nuri will perform an avoidance maneuver to prevent collisions with other objects, vent its remaining propellant, and end its mission.
The Korea AeroSpace Administration plans to announce initial results about 1 hour and 20 minutes after launch, and the first contact results for each satellite will be released around noon that day.