On October 7th, South Korea successfully launched its fifth Nuri rocket. The rocket lifted off from the launchpad at the Naro Space Center with 15 satellites on board, the largest number carried by Nuri during a single launch.

During the launch, the rocket completed around 20 minutes of flight. Fourteen out of 15 satellites on board were deployed, reaching their target orbits. However, one small CubeSat* failed to separate from the rocket.

This launch was more challenging than the previous one. While the previous launch released one primary satellite, the fifth launch had to release five primary satellites in addition to 10 secondary satellites.

The five primary satellites belong to NEONSAT,* a group of satellites that are designed to observe Earth’s surface and capture high-resolution images. Another five NEONSAT satellites are scheduled to be launched in 2027. Once all 10 satellites are in orbit, the constellation will be able to capture images of the Korean peninsula at least three times a day.

The rocket also carried the small CubeSats into space. These satellites were developed by private companies, universities, and research groups.

* CubeSat 큐브샛 (10cm 정육면체를 단위로 이어 붙여 만드는 초소형 인공위성)

* NEONSAT 네온샛 (초소형 군집위성)