South Korea has today managed to orbit 15 new satellites that have travelled aboard the Nuri national-manufactured space rocket on its fifth flight, the fourth successful since it came into operation in 2021.
© Korea Aerospace Research Institute
07/10/2026
by
Lusa
Cinco satellites will be part of the first national constellation of the Asian country, named NEONSAT, which, once operational, can capture images of the Korean peninsula more than three times a day, according to the local news agency Yonhap.
The fifth rocket Nuri took off, with 15 satellites on board, around 12:25, local time (03:25 TMG), from the Naro Space Center, in Goheung, southwest Seoul.
In addition to the NEONSAT, the vehicle launched ten CubeSat microsatellites.
Nuri, which is not reusable, is expected to remain in orbit before returning to Earth's atmosphere and disintegrating.
South Korea plans to complete its constellation NEONSAT, which will have ten microsatellites next year with the sixth launch of the rocket.
Since 2010, the country has invested billions of dollars in the development of Nuri, whose design, production, equipment and testing have been carried out entirely on South Korean soil.
The success of this fifth flight consolidates Seoul's ability to operate a fully developed space vehicle locally capable of transporting and launching payload into the intended orbit.