South Korea successfully launched its largest satellite to date early Thursday, November 27, using the domestically developed three-stage Nuri rocket, marking the fourth of six planned flights through 2027.

The rocket lifted off from the Naro Space Center, on an island off Goheung county on the southwestern coast.

Payload deployment confirmed

Aerospace officials confirmed that the rocket successfully placed a 516-kilogram main science satellite and 12 microsatellites into a sun-synchronous orbit approximately 600 kilometres above Earth. The Korea Aerospace Administration was expected to confirm signal transmission from the satellites in the hours following launch.

The primary satellite is equipped with a wide-range airglow camera to observe auroral activity, along with separate instruments for measuring plasma and magnetic fields, and systems designed to test life-science experiments in space.

Diverse missions of microsatellites

The 12 university- and research institute-developed “cube” satellites carry payloads including GPS systems to study Earth’s atmosphere, infrared cameras to detect plastic pollution in the oceans, and experimental solar cells and communication equipment.

This launch marks South Korea’s first Nuri flight since May 2023, when the rocket successfully deployed a 180-kilogram observation satellite, and the fourth overall since the inaugural attempt in October 2021 that failed to reach orbit with a dummy payload.

Strategic push to 2027

Additional Nuri launches are scheduled for 2026 and 2027 as part of a long-term programme to strengthen national space technology and industry, narrowing the gap with regional leaders China, Japan, and India.

Symbol of indigenous space power

Nuri, powered by five 75-ton-class engines in its first and second stages and a 7-ton-class engine in the third stage, remains South Korea’s first space launch vehicle developed primarily with domestic technology — a critical national asset after decades of relying on foreign launches for its satellites.