South Korea hits a space race milestone with latest rocket launch
by Justine Calma from The Verge - All Posts on (#60KNZ)
In this handout image provided by Korea Aerospace Research Institute, a space rocket Nuri (KSLV-) taking off from its launch pad at the Naro Space Center on June 21, 2022, in UGoheung-gun, South Korea. | Photo by Korea Aerospace Research Institute via Getty Images For the first time in its history, South Korea has successfully launched a satellite into orbit on a domestically built rocket. The Nuri rocket lifted off at 4PM local time today from the Naro Space Center in Goheung. The launch could help South Korea gain footing in the growing global space industry and potentially bolster the nation's national defense arsenal with future spy satellites.
Nuri's payload today included a set of satellites that officials say have no military purposes. The rocket placed a 357-pound performance verification satellite into orbit about 435 miles (700 km) above our planet. The performance verification satellite is now poised to help South Korea launch more satellites. While in orbit, the satellite will test an...