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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →South Korea’s Nuri rocket, also called KSLV-II, can carry a 1.5-ton-class satellite to a low Earth orbit about 600–800 km high, according to the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI). It launches from Naro Space Center in Goheung. Nuri’s fifth flight succeeded on October 7, 2026; same-day reporting said it deployed five NEONSAT satellites and nine of ten CubeSats.
How much can the Nuri rocket carry?
KARI rates Nuri to place a 1.5-ton-class practical satellite into a low Earth orbit at an altitude of about 600–800 km. That capacity is tied to the stated orbit range; it should not be treated as a payload figure for every orbit or mission profile. These are KARI specifications, not the result of an independent performance test.
Where does South Korea launch Nuri?
Nuri launches from Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, on South Korea’s southwestern coast. KARI gives the coordinates for the third-launch location as 34.43° N, 127.53° E. The space center is a launch complex, and the available sources do not establish public access or visitor arrangements.
What kind of rocket is Nuri?
Nuri is a domestically developed, three-stage orbital launch vehicle that uses liquid oxygen and kerosene. KARI lists its height as 47.2 m, its diameter as 3.5 m, its total mass as 200 tonnes, and its first-stage thrust as 300 tonnes.
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| Stage | Engine configuration |
|---|---|
| First | Four 75-ton-class engines |
| Second | One 75-ton-class engine |
| Third | One 7-ton-class engine |
The engine classes and vehicle dimensions above are KARI specifications. They describe the vehicle’s design, not the mass of a payload Nuri can deliver to any chosen orbit.
Has Nuri ever failed?
Nuri’s first flight in October 2021 did not complete satellite insertion. Its second flight succeeded on June 21, 2022. The third flight, on May 25, 2023, deployed NEXTSat-2 and seven CubeSats into a 550 km sun-synchronous orbit; KARI lists NEXTSat-2 at 179.9 kg. KARI records the fourth flight, on November 27, 2025, as successful.
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The accurate summary is that the first attempt fell short of completing insertion, while later flights achieved success. That record is distinct from the broader question of long-term reliability, which KARI’s program aims to build through repeated launches.
What did Nuri’s fifth launch carry?
Before the October 7, 2026 flight, the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) announced a planned manifest of five microsatellites and ten CubeSats. Yonhap reported on launch day that the flight succeeded, deploying the five NEONSAT primary payloads and nine of the ten CubeSats. The reported result is therefore 14 deployed satellites, not all 15 planned spacecraft. The actual deployment count and Hanwha Aerospace’s role in this launch are attributed here to Yonhap’s same-day reporting.
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Why is Nuri important to South Korea?
Nuri is part of South Korea’s effort to establish independent orbital launch capability. KARI describes its development, which ran from March 2010 through June 2023, as aimed at launching a 1.5-ton-class application satellite without relying on another country’s launch vehicle. The program follows earlier Korean sounding rockets and the Naro/KSLV-I vehicle; Nuri was not Korea’s first rocket.
The program is also intended to build reliability and broaden industrial participation. KARI says the KSLV-II Enhancement Program will use repeated launches to improve reliability and transfer launch-vehicle technology to private companies. Yonhap reported that Hanwha Aerospace manufactured the vehicle for the fifth flight and took part in launch operations. This indicates expanding private-sector involvement, not that Nuri has become a fully privatized or consumer-bookable commercial launch service. KARI’s vehicle history lists the next-generation launch vehicle program as beginning in July 2023.
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Sources and scope
- KARI: Nuri vehicle overview and payload capability
- KARI: Nuri technical specifications
- KARI: Nuri launch site and mission information
- KARI: Nuri vehicle history and development programs
- KARI: Third Nuri launch mission details
- KARI: Nuri launch history
- KASA: Planned payloads for the fifth Nuri flight, August 27, 2026
- Yonhap: Fifth-flight outcome and reported Hanwha Aerospace participation, October 7, 2026
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