South Korea launches first domestic space rocket, Nuri

South Korea launched its first homemade rocket, a mission that was only partly successful but that officials called an important step toward ​placing domestically made satellites in orbit to better monitor growing threats from North Korea.

South Korea launched its first homemade rocket on October 21, a mission that was only partly successful but that officials called an important step toward ​placing domestically made satellites in orbit to better monitor growing threats from North Korea. Credit: AFP Photo

The three-stage Nuri rocket, built by the government’s Korea Aerospace Research Institute with the help of hundreds of local companies, lifted off from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, on the southwestern tip of South Korea. Credit: AFP Photo

The rocket carried a 1.5-ton dummy payload to test its ability to thrust an artificial satellite into orbit 373 to 497 miles above the Earth. AFP Photo

A little more than an hour after the takeoff, President Moon Jae-in said the launching “did not reach its goal completely” but showed “excellent results for a first try.” He said Nuri pushed its payload to space 434 miles above the Earth, but the mission was “incomplete.” Credit: Reuters Photo

Officials said that the third stage of the rocket burned out sooner than planned, failing to give the dummy satellite enough speed to stabilize and stay in orbit. Credit: Reuters Photo

The launch was broadcast live on all major TV stations and on internet streaming platforms. Moon’s government had billed the launch as a giant step forward in South Korea’s effort to become a new leader in space technology. Credit: Reuters Photo

After multiple delays and failures, South Korea’s Naro rocket succeeded in putting a satellite in orbit for research and development purposes in 2013. But unlike Nuri, the rocket launched Thursday using domestic technology, Naro was built jointly with Russia. Credit: AFP Photo

South Korea has spent nearly $1.7 billion to build the 200-ton Nuri, also known as the Korea Space Launch Vehicle-II. It planned to conduct several more trial launches of the Nuri system, including one scheduled for May. Credit: Reuters Photo

With Nuri, South Korea has hoped to secure a foothold in space technology, the latest high-tech market where the country has decided to become a player. Credit: Reuters Photo

South Korea plans to send a moon orbiter next fall aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from SpaceX, the company founded by Elon Musk. Moon has said that his country expects to be able to land an uncrewed spacecraft on the moon using South Korean rockets by 2030. Credit: AFP Photo