South Korea's fourth space rocket launch successful, sends satellites into orbit

South Korea successfully launched its fourth homegrown space rocket Nuri on Thursday and put more than a dozen satellites into orbit, a live stream on YouTube by Korea Aerospace Research Institute showed, marking the country's first launch jointly conducted with a private company.

South Korea started the Nuri rocket programme in 2021, but in the latest launch, local company Hanwha Aerospace led the manufacturing and assembly of the rocket, using technology transferred from the government.

The Nuri rocket lifted off from Naro Space Center on the southern coast of South Korea at 1:13 a.m. local time (1613 GMT Wednesday).

The main commercial-grade satellite and 12 other cube satellites carried by the rocket were successfully set in orbit, South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT said.

Including Thursday's launch, South Korea aims to test-launch a total of six rockets by 2027. The government said it has transferred technology to Hanwha as an effort to help the private sector build up capabilities in the space sector and enhance the country's competitiveness in the aerospace industry.