The “Nuri” launch vehicle, also called KSLV-II (Korea Space Launch Vehicle-II), has already been tested, proving its performance. On October 21, 2021, the first test was considered partially successful, since at the final stage the satellite model could not enter the planned orbit. After that, work on errors was carried out, the identified problems were eliminated. The second flight of “Nuri” on June 21, 2022 took place completely in normal mode. The system reached its target altitude and launched a 200 kg spacecraft, four small satellites and a 1.3 ton dummy payload into low Earth orbit (700 km).
At the same time, the current beginning is somewhat in the nature of the final exam. During the launch in June last year, the satellites were not used to perform separate independent tasks, but were used to control the operation of the launch vehicle. In addition, the role of the main load weighing 1300 kg was still performed by the layout in order to reduce losses in the event of a breakdown. Today, a fully commercial launch is underway, when the entire payload will be payload: eight satellites with a total weight of 504 kg.
The launch will take place from the Naro launch site on Venarado Island off the southern coast of the Korean Peninsula. According to preliminary plans, the launch time is set at 6:24 p.m. local time (12:24 p.m. Moscow time), but the exact time will be announced a little later. At the moment, in the spaceport area, the weather is clear, sunny, the wind is moderate, so the weather conditions should not be an obstacle. A large number of spectators gathered at different sites to watch the start. The launch is also expected to be watched live by Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol.
According to the plans of Korean engineers, after 2 minutes 5 seconds (125 seconds) after launch at an altitude of 64.5, the Nuri first booster stage should take off, after 3 minutes 54 seconds (234 seconds) at an altitude of 204 km, valve closing satellite coverage, after 4 minutes 32 seconds (272 seconds) at an altitude of 258 km – the start of the second stage block. After 13 minutes 3 seconds (783 seconds), the third stage will bring the satellites into the planned 550 km orbit, after which, at short intervals, the eight satellites will in turn separate and diverge.
In total, about 19 minutes (18 minutes 58 seconds) will elapse from the moment of launch to the full departure of the satellites, after which, in the event of normal operation of all systems, it will be possible to declare a successful launch in a preliminary project. The final verdict on the complete success of the launch of the satellites into low Earth orbit by the launch vehicle can be made approximately 1 hour 20 minutes after launch, when they communicate with the control center, reporting the flight parameters and confirming that everything is OK. goes normally.
It should be noted that South Korea has already announced its ambitious plans for the peaceful exploration of outer space, having adopted a space roadmap for the period up to 2045. According to this program, three other launches of Nuri should be carried out before 2027, in 2032 it is planned to land its own device on the Moon, to create a base on the Earth satellite by 2040, with the subsequent prospect of starting the extraction of mineral resources , as well as the orbital exploration of Mars (2035) and the landing on the “red planet” (no later than 2045).
In general, Korea intends to involve both state structures and private companies in the space industry, taking the American model as a model. At the same time, Korea is actively developing the military field of space utilization, where there are also notable successes.
It should be remembered that Russian specialists were also behind the South Korean space program. Ten years ago, on January 30, 2013, the first Naro-1 launch vehicle (KSLV-I) launched a satellite into orbit from the Naro cosmodrome. In this system, the first stage was completely produced in Russia and delivered ready for use in Korea, and the launch was carried out by more than a hundred Russian engineers and technicians.
Located in the far south of the Korean Peninsula, the Naro Cosmodrome was also designed and built at the instigation of the Russians. “Nuri” (KSLV-II), according to the Koreans, is the first “truly Korean” launcher, which is built entirely by Koreans, on Korean soil, using Korean technology. Korean experts themselves admit that cooperation with the Russians greatly contributed to the development of the Land of the Morning Calm space program.
Help “RG”
The Nuri launcher (KSLV-II) is a three-stage system with a total weight of 200.4 tons and a length of 47.5 m. The first stage (length 21.6 m) is provided by four engines with a thrust of 75 tons each, in the second (13.6 m) a 75-ton engine is installed, and on the third (7 m) – a 7 ton engine.
The payload this time will be a total of 504 kg and consists of eight small satellites: NEXTSat-2 (weight 180 kg), four SNIPE satellites A, B, C, D (Korean name for “Toyoset” satellites 1-4, total weight 40 kg), Lumir-T1 (10 kg), KSAT3U (6 kg) and JLC-101-v1-2 (4 kg).
The cost of the project to create the launcher “Nuri” (KSLV-II) amounted to 1.8 billion dollars. It has been in place since 2010.
Read the Latest Science and Technology News Today on The Eastern Herald.
