The Yonhap News Agency reports that South Korea has set an ambitious goal for catching up with the world’s leading space powers:
South Korea aims to bridge the gap in rocket and satellite technology with leading countries in the field of space exploration over the next decade by ramping up research and development and expanding cooperation with foreign agencies, the head of a state aerospace institute said Friday.
‘KSLV-II launch in 2019 will be difficult’
The Korean Herald
For Korea to launch a fully indigenous space rocket in 2019 as planned may be difficult because the country has yet to sufficiently secure core technology, a lawmaker said yesterday.
Faulty shield eyed as cause of failure to orbit a satellite
JoongAng Daily
Officials yesterday morning stopped trying to detect the first space satellite launched from South Korea, tentatively concluding it had been destroyed by falling back into the atmosphere.
NASASpaceflight.com say there are conflicting reports as to whether South Korea’s launch of the KSLV-1 (Naro-1) rocket succeeded in placing a satellite into orbit last night:
KSLV-1 Team Leader Park Jung-joo says that Korean engineers have learned a lot working with the Russians on the launch vehicle, knowledge that will allow them to build a follow-on rocket independently.
S. Korea reschedules first rocket launch for Aug. 25
Yonhap News
South Korea has rescheduled its first space rocket launch from its own territory for Aug. 25 after a technical glitch halted the countdown minutes before blastoff, the government said Friday.
An editorial writer says that the deal with Russia to build the KSLV-1 (Naro-1) rocket is a bad deal that leaves South Korea dependent upon Russian technology.
Glitch forces SKorea to abort rocket launch
The Associated Press
A technical glitch forced South Korea to abort liftoff of its first rocket into space Wednesday, delaying a launch that threatened to heat up tensions with rival North Korea even as they joined in mourning the death of an ex-president who pushed tirelessly for reconciliation.
Judging from what I’m seeing from Korean television, the launch of South Korea’s first rocket has been scrubbed. The countdown has been stopped. And the launch tower, which had been lowered for the launch, has been raised back up to the rocket. No word on why yet. At least none that I can decipher.
