The rocket was erected at the Naro Space Center on Tuesday. A launch committee will set the time after reviewing readiness, weather and collision risks.
South Korea’s Nuri rocket was transported to the Naro Space Center launchpad and erected vertically on Tuesday ahead of its scheduled fifth launch on Oct. 7, Yonhap reported, citing the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA).
The 90-minute transfer from the assembly complex in Goheung, about 330 kilometers south of Seoul, ended at 7:30 a.m.; the rocket was secured vertically at 10:35 a.m. Ground-system connections and checks were completed at 8:05 p.m.
A launch management committee is due to meet at 8 a.m. Wednesday to assess technical readiness, weather and collision risks before setting the launch time, which was to be announced at 8:45 a.m.
The payload includes five NEONSAT microsatellites, Nos. 2–6, and 10 CubeSats. It will be Nuri’s first attempt to deploy several primary satellites for the same mission in sequence. The NEONSAT satellites are to separate at intervals of 35 to 40 seconds at about 575 kilometers; the CubeSats will follow in pairs, 10 seconds apart.
NEONSAT is intended to monitor the Korean Peninsula and surrounding areas for security and disaster-response purposes. The constellation is planned to reach 10 satellites, with five more due to fly on Nuri’s sixth mission next year.