Korea AeroSpace Administration approves fifth Nuri rocket launch

The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) has officially approved the launch of the fifth Nuri (KSLV-II) rocket. The approval follows a three-month review process by a committee of public and private experts, which evaluated 16 criteria including safety management, mission objectives, and liability coverage, including a 200 billion won insurance policy.

The primary mission of this fifth launch is to deploy 15 satellites into sun-synchronous orbit. This includes five micro-constellation satellites designed for high-frequency, high-precision observation to enhance national security and disaster response, as well as 10 CubeSats intended for ionospheric observation, ocean current analysis, and the verification of domestic space components.

Additionally, KASA approved an adjusted development plan for the Korea Positioning System (KPS), a domestic satellite navigation system similar to GPS. While the launch of the first KPS satellite has been rescheduled, the agency maintains its goal to complete the deployment of eight KPS satellites by 2035.