[영상 = 한국항공우주연구원 제공]
The Korean launch vehicle Nuri (KSLV-II) completed the erection of the launch pad on the 20th.
According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Nuri-ho succeeded in standing at 11:30 am on the same day. It has been about three hours since it was transferred to the second launch pad in the Naro Space Center in Goheung-gun, Jeollanam-do. The Nuri was slowly erected with the help of an erector, a device that erects the projectile vertically on the launch pad.
In the afternoon of this day, work is also underway to connect the umbilical, a facility that supplies propellant and electricity to the Nuri. If the umbilical connection is not made properly, the launch may be delayed.
Finally, after checking whether there is a possibility of fuel and oxidizing agent leaking, communication tests, etc., the launch preparation work is completed.
Nuri is a projectile designed and manufactured with pure domestic technology. It started the development project in March 2010, and successfully carried out the engine test projectile launch on November 28, 2018, and the general combustion test of the first end engine of the Nuri-qualified model (QM) on March 25, 2021.
If the Nuri launch is successful, South Korea will become the 7th country in the world to prove its ability to launch a practical satellite on its own. According to anti-accidental agency, the launch success rate of the first model of a newly developed projectile around the world is only around 30%. The US and Russia account for only 40%.
The first launch time is likely to be around 4 pm on the 21st. The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Aviation Association plan to announce the exact launch time about an hour and a half before the launch time. The tentative second launch date is scheduled for May 19 next year.
[신미진 매경닷컴 기자]
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