The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) approved the launch of the fifth Nuri (KSLV-II), Korea's homegrown launch vehicle. In this launch, a total of 15 satellites, including very small cluster satellites and CubeSats, are to be placed into a sun-synchronous orbit.
The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) said on the 25th that it convened the 10th Space Development Promotion Working Committee in writing and reviewed and approved two agenda items: the "results of the launch approval review for the fifth Nuri launch vehicle" and the "adjustment (draft) of the satellite development plan for the Korea Positioning System (KPS)."
Before granting launch approval for the fifth Nuri, the Launch Approval Review Committee, composed of experts from the public and private sectors, conducted a review for about three months. It comprehensively examined the appropriateness of the intended use of the space launch vehicle, the safety management system, and the ability to bear liability for compensation in the event of an accident.
The fifth Nuri launch will carry five very small cluster satellites and 10 CubeSats. The very small cluster satellites are expected to be used for national security and disaster response through high-frequency, high-precision Earth observation.
The CubeSats to be launched together will carry out different missions, such as ionospheric observation, verification of domestically developed devices and parts in the space environment, and ocean current analysis. Nuri will prepare for launch with the goal of inserting these satellites into a sun-synchronous orbit.
At the working-level committee that day, an adjustment plan for the Korea Positioning System (KPS) satellite development plan was also approved. Earlier, at the fifth working-level committee meeting on May last year, an adjustment plan for the development of the first KPS satellite was reviewed. Reflecting the adjustments at that time, the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) reorganized the launch schedule for subsequent satellites. The overall project goal of deploying eight KPS satellites by 2035 remains in place.
Oh Tae-seok, head of the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), said, "We will leverage the fifth Nuri launch to ensure continuous Nuri launches and secure independent space transportation capabilities using domestic launch vehicles," adding, "Even after the launch approval, we will check the preparation status through bodies such as the Launch Management Committee and proceed with preparations so that the payload satellites can be inserted into their planned orbits."