Korea's Nuri rocket to carry 1st microsatellite constellation in 5th launch

Korea’s homegrown Nuri rocket will carry 15 satellites on its fifth launch next month, including five NEONSAT satellites for the country’s first domestically launched microsatellite constellation. The launch is set for Oct. 7 from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, with the exact time to be decided on launch day. KASA said the mission will be Nuri’s first attempt to deploy multiple satellites performing the same mission sequentially into orbit.

The payload includes five New-space Earth Observation Satellite Constellation for National Safety satellites and 10 CubeSats.

The five NEONSAT satellites weigh about 500 kilograms combined, while the CubeSats weigh about 96 kilograms.

The five NEONSAT satellites will be released in different directions at intervals of 35 to 40 seconds to prevent collisions.

The full NEONSAT constellation will eventually consist of 10 satellites in two orbital planes, with another five planned for Nuri’s sixth launch in 2027.

Each NEONSAT carries an electro-optical camera for national security and disaster response, including wildfire and flood monitoring.

Published Sep 15, 2026 3:14 pm KST

Park Jae-sung, head of the space transportation division at the Korea AeroSpace Administration, speaks to reporters about preparations for the fifth launch of the Nuri rocket during a press briefing in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

Korea's homegrown Nuri rocket will carry 15 satellites on its fifth launch next month, including five satellites that will form part of the country's first domestically launched microsatellite constellation, the space agency said Tuesday.

The launch is scheduled for Oct. 7 between 12:23 p.m. and 1:23 p.m. from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, about 330 kilometers south of Seoul, with the exact time to be decided on launch day, the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) said.

The payload consists of five New-space Earth Observation Satellite Constellation for National Safety (NEONSAT) as the primary payload and 10 CubeSats as secondary payloads. The five NEONSATs weigh about 500 kilograms combined, while the CubeSats weigh about 96 kilograms.

The mission will be Nuri's first attempt to deploy multiple satellites performing the same mission sequentially into orbit. To prevent collisions, the five NEONSATs will be released in different directions at intervals of 35 to 40 seconds.

"On its fifth launch, the Nuri rocket will attempt Korea's first satellite constellation launch mission," Park Jae-sung, head of KASA's space transportation division, said during a press briefing in Seoul. "It will mark a turning point for the country's satellite development as it advances toward mass production and constellation operations."

Each NEONSAT carries an electro-optical camera that captures images for national security and disaster response, including monitoring wildfires and floods.

The NEONSAT constellation will eventually consist of 10 satellites operating in two orbital planes. Five will be launched on Nuri's fifth flight, followed by another five on its sixth launch in 2027 to complete the constellation.

Once operational, the constellation will be able to image the Korean Peninsula more than three times a day and revisit the same location within 24 hours.

KASA said preparations are proceeding as planned, pledging to closely cooperate with related agencies to ensure a successful launch.

The satellites were mounted on Nuri's upper stage Monday, with final assembly set to be completed later this month. Last inspections will run through Oct. 5 before the rocket is moved to the launchpad the following day, according to KASA.

韩国自主研发的“努里”（Nuri）火箭将于下月进行第五次发射，此次将携带15颗卫星，其中包括5颗NEONSAT卫星，这是韩国首个自主发射的微型卫星星座。发射定于10月7日在韩国豪兴市罗路宇宙中心进行，具体时间将在发射当天确定。韩国航天局（KASA）表示，此次任务将是“努里”火箭首次尝试将多颗执行相同任务的卫星依次送入轨道。

有效载荷包括 5 颗用于国家安全的新空间地球观测卫星星座卫星和 10 颗立方体卫星。

五颗 NEONSAT 卫星的总重量约为 500 公斤，而 CubeSat 卫星的重量约为 96 公斤。

为防止碰撞，五颗 NEONSAT 卫星将以 35 至 40 秒的间隔向不同方向释放。

完整的 NEONSAT 星座最终将由 10 颗卫星组成，分布在两个轨道平面上，另外 5 颗卫星计划在 2027 年由 Nuri 的第六次发射中发射。

每颗 NEONSAT 卫星都搭载一台光电摄像机，用于国家安全和灾害应对，包括野火和洪水监测。

发布于2026年9月15日下午3:14（韩国标准时间）

韩国宇宙航空研究开发局航天运输部门负责人朴载成周二在首尔举行的新闻发布会上向记者介绍了“努里”火箭第五次发射的准备工作。（韩联社）

韩国航天局周二表示，韩国自主研发的“努里”火箭将于下个月进行第五次发射，届时将携带15颗卫星，其中包括5颗将组成韩国首个国产微型卫星星座的卫星。

韩国航空航天管理局（KASA）表示，此次发射计划于10月7日下午12点23分至1点23分之间从位于首尔以南约330公里的强兴市罗罗航天中心进行，具体时间将在发射当天确定。

该有效载荷由五颗用于国家安全的新型地球观测卫星星座（NEONSAT）作为主要有效载荷和十颗立方体卫星作为辅助有效载荷组成。五颗NEONSAT卫星总重约500公斤，而立方体卫星总重约96公斤。

此次任务将是努里首次尝试将多颗执行相同任务的卫星依次送入轨道。为防止碰撞，五颗NEONSAT卫星将以35至40秒的间隔向不同方向释放。

“努里号火箭将在其第五次发射中尝试韩国首次卫星星座发射任务，”韩国航天局航天运输部门负责人朴载成在首尔举行的新闻发布会上表示。“这将标志着韩国卫星发展的一个转折点，标志着韩国卫星正朝着大规模生产和星座运营迈进。”

每颗 NEONSAT 卫星都搭载一台光电摄像机，用于拍摄图像，以保障国家安全和应对灾害，包括监测野火和洪水。

NEONSAT星座最终将由10颗卫星组成，运行在两个轨道平面上。其中5颗将搭乘努里火箭的第五次飞行发射升空，另外5颗将在2027年的第六次发射中发射，从而完成星座的建设。

一旦投入运行，该星座每天将能够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。

KASA表示，各项准备工作正按计划进行，并承诺将与相关机构密切合作，确保发射成功。

据韩国航天局（KASA）消息，卫星已于周一安装到努里火箭的上级，最终组装工作预计将于本月晚些时候完成。最后的检查工作将持续到10月5日，之后火箭将于次日被运往发射台。