(7th LD) Nuri rocket deploys 5 satellites for S. Korea's first microsatellite constellation

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(ATTN: UPDATES with satellites' initial communication in 6th para) By Kim Eun-jung

GOHEUNG, South Korea, Oct. 7 (Yonhap) -- South Korea successfully deployed five satellites for its first domestically launched microsatellite constellation during the fifth flight of its homegrown Nuri rocket Wednesday, the space agency said.

The 200-ton Nuri blasted off from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, about 400 kilometers south of Seoul, at 12:25 p.m. and completed its flight about 20 minutes later.

South Korea's Nuri space rocket lifts off from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, about 400 kilometers south of Seoul, on Oct. 7, 2026, in this photo provided by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

The rocket successfully deployed its primary payload of five New-space Earth Observation Satellite Constellation for National Safety (NEONSAT) microsatellites, while nine of its 10 CubeSat secondary payloads were released as planned, according to the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA).

The five NEONSATs, Nos. 2 through 6, were deployed 35 to 40 seconds apart, with Nuri's upper stage rotating about 45 degrees between each separation.

The fifth flight marked Nuri's first attempt to sequentially deploy multiple primary satellites designed to perform the same mission, demonstrating a key capability needed to launch and operate satellite constellations.

KASA said the five NEONSAT satellites successfully established initial contact with South Korea's King Sejong Station in Antarctica shortly before 6 p.m.

While nine CubeSats were successfully deployed in pairs at 10-second intervals, PERSAT-02, developed by South Korean startup Quaternion, failed to separate from the rocket, according to KASA.

After releasing the satellites, Nuri performed a collision-avoidance maneuver and vented its remaining fuel. The rocket will remain in orbit before eventually reentering Earth's atmosphere and burning up.

The mission was Nuri's fifth launch overall and its fourth consecutive success after its maiden flight failed in 2021, raising its overall launch success rate from 75 percent to 80 percent.

"The success of the fifth launch further enhanced the reliability of the Nuri rocket," KASA Administrator Oh Tae-seok said. "The successful deployment of the satellite constellation demonstrated (South Korea's) more advanced space transportation capability, enabling a range of missions to be carried out in line with customers' desired orbits and schedules."

Citizens watch the Naro space rocket's liftoff from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, about 400 kilometers southwest of Seoul, on Oct. 7, 2026. (Yonhap)

Each NEONSAT weighs less than 100 kilograms and carries an electro-optical camera capable of distinguishing objects as small as 1 meter in black-and-white images and 4 meters in color images.

The satellites will monitor the Korean Peninsula and surrounding areas for national security and disaster response.

The NEONSAT constellation will eventually consist of 10 satellites. Another five will be launched aboard Nuri's sixth flight scheduled for in the latter half of 2027 to complete the constellation, Oh said.

Once fully operational, the constellation will be capable of imaging the Korean Peninsula more than three times a day and revisiting the same location within 24 hours.

Wednesday's flight also marks a further shift from a government-led research and development program centered on the state-run Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) toward a more industry-led model.

Hanwha Aerospace Co., which has received Nuri-related technology from KARI, was responsible for manufacturing the rocket for the fifth launch and also participated in launch operations.

Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon hailed the fifth launch as "another milestone" for South Korea's space industry, citing the successful deployment of multiple satellites for a constellation and the growing role of private companies in the country's space program.

Bae pledged continued government support for additional launches led by the private sector as South Korea seeks to shift from a government-led space development model toward a more commercially driven industry.

ejkim@yna.co.kr (END)

(7th LD) Nuri rocket deploys 5 satellites for S. Korea's first microsatellite constellation

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（注意：第六段更新了卫星首次通信的信息）金恩贞

韩国高兴，10月7日（韩联社）——韩国航天局周三表示，韩国在其国产“努里”火箭的第五次飞行中成功部署了五颗卫星，这是韩国首个国产微型卫星星座。

重达 200 吨的 Nuri 火箭于下午 12 点 25 分从首尔以南约 400 公里的强兴市罗罗航天中心发射升空，并在大约 20 分钟后完成了飞行。

这张由韩国航空航天研究院提供的照片显示，2026年10月7日，韩国“努里”号运载火箭从位于首尔以南约400公里的强兴市罗鲁航天中心发射升空。（照片非卖品）（韩联社）

据韩国航空航天管理局（KASA）称，该火箭成功部署了其主要有效载荷——五颗用于国家安全的新型地球观测卫星星座（NEONSAT）微型卫星，同时其 10 颗立方体卫星次要有效载荷中有 9 颗按计划释放。

五颗 NEONSAT 卫星（编号 2 至 6）以 35 至 40 秒的间隔部署，努里火箭的上级在每次分离之间旋转约 45 度。

第五次飞行标志着努里首次尝试按顺序部署多颗旨在执行同一任务的主卫星，展示了发射和运行卫星星座所需的一项关键能力。

韩国航天局表示，五颗NEONSAT卫星于下午6点前不久成功与韩国南极世宗王站建立了初始联系。

据韩国航天局 (KASA) 称，虽然九颗立方体卫星以 10 秒的间隔成对成功部署，但由韩国初创公司 Quaternion 开发的 PERSAT-02 未能与火箭分离。

释放卫星后，努里火箭进行了避碰机动并释放了剩余燃料。火箭将在轨道上运行一段时间，最终重返地球大气层并烧毁。

这次任务是努里火箭的第五次发射，也是自 2021 年首次飞行失败以来的第四次连续成功，使其整体发射成功率从 75% 提高到 80%。

韩国航天局局长吴泰锡表示：“第五次发射的成功进一步提升了努里火箭的可靠性。卫星星座的成功部署展示了韩国更先进的航天运输能力，能够根据客户所需的轨道和时间表执行一系列任务。”

2026年10月7日，在首尔西南约400公里处的高兴市罗鲁宇宙中心，市民们观看罗鲁号航天火箭发射升空。（韩联社）

每颗 NEONSAT 的重量不到 100 公斤，并搭载一台光电相机，能够分辨黑白图像中小至 1 米的物体和彩色图像中小至 4 米的物体。

这些卫星将监测朝鲜半岛及周边地区，以维护国家安全和应对灾害。

吴先生表示，NEONSAT星座最终将由10颗卫星组成。另外5颗卫星将搭乘Nuri号火箭的第六次飞行任务，于2027年下半年发射升空，以完成星座的建设。

一旦全面投入运行，该星座将能够每天对朝鲜半岛进行三次以上的成像，并在 24 小时内重访同一地点。

周三的飞行也标志着韩国的研发计划从以国营的韩国航空航天研究院 (KARI) 为中心的政府主导模式，进一步转向以产业为主导的模式。

从韩国航空航天工业株式会社 (KARI) 获得 Nuri 相关技术的韩华航天公司负责制造第五次发射的火箭，并参与了发射操作。

科学部长裴京勋称赞第五次发射是韩国航天工业的“又一个里程碑”，并指出成功部署了多颗卫星组成星座，以及私营企业在韩国航天计划中发挥的作用日益增强。

裴俊浩承诺，随着韩国寻求从政府主导的航天发展模式转向更加商业驱动的产业，政府将继续支持私营部门主导的更多发射活动。

ejkim@yna.co.kr (完)

（第七次发射）努里火箭将5颗卫星送入轨道，这是韩国首个微型卫星星座。