The third space flight confirmed on the 24th of Nuriho… “Perform normal preparation work”

The Korean launch vehicle Nuriho, made entirely with our own power, will go into space for the third time on the 24th. The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on the 23rd that the Nuri will be launched as planned on the afternoon of the 24th from the Naro Space Center in Goheung-gun, South Jeolla Province.

At 9:30 p.m., after the launch preparation work was completed, the Nuri Launch Management Committee was held presided over by Vice Minister Oh Tae-seok of the Ministry of Science and ICT. After examining the preparations for the launch, such as the transportation and standing of the Nuri, the committee said, “It was confirmed that the preparations for the launch were being carried out normally without any unusual issues,” the Ministry of Science and ICT said.

Previously, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute transferred the Nuri from the assembly building at 7:20 am and put it on the launch pad. The Nuriho, which stood vertically, was connected to an umbilical to charge propellants such as fuel and oxidizer. Then, preparations for the launch, such as a confidentiality check to ensure that the propellant would not leak, were carried out, and all were completed at 9:14 p.m.

It took longer than expected to finish the preparation work as there was a 30-minute shower in the Goheung area that afternoon, but it was not enough to affect the launch, said an official from the Ministry of Science and ICT.

The launch management committee analyzed that the weather conditions at the Naro Space Center on the 24th satisfied the conditions for launch. It was observed that the possibility of precipitation was low and the wind was blowing less than 5 meters per second. It was also observed that the possibility of lightning strikes on the flight trajectory was very low.

It will be finalized on the 24th whether the Nuri will be able to go into space as planned. On the day of launch, a comprehensive inspection of all parts, focusing on fuel and electrical systems, is conducted six hours before launch. The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute will reopen the Launch Management Committee at around 1:30 pm on the 24th to comprehensively review the technical preparations, weather conditions, space environment, and the possibility of collision with space objects to determine the final launch time.

The currently scheduled launch time of the Nuri is 6:24 pm on the 24th. Within 30 minutes before or after this time, the exact launch time is determined.

Four hours before launch, steps are taken for fuel and oxidant injection. When preparations for filling kerosene (kerosene) as fuel and liquid oxygen as oxidizer are completed, the standing device attached to Nuriho is removed.

When it is confirmed that all devices are in normal condition prior to launch, a final launch decision is made and the automatic launch operation (PLO) program is started 10 minutes before launch. From this point on, the preparation work is automatically performed by the computer program. When the first stage engine reaches 300t of thrust, the command to release the ground anchor is issued. When the countdown is over, Nuri-ho kicks off the earth and flies away, emitting a roaring sound and enormous steam.

In this launch, the Nuri will load a practical satellite for the first time. Earlier, in the first launch on October 21, 2021 and the second launch on June 21 last year, the Nuriho’s performance was not proven, so a satellite copy was loaded.

Reporter Song Eun-ah [email protected]

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