Naro Launch Postponed Until Next Year

Korea's third and final attempt at launching a homegrown space rocket has been postponed until next year. The scheduled liftoff last Thursday was suspended when a glitch was found in the second-stage booster.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said it decided not to push ahead unreasonably with the launch this year since the overhaul will take more than a month.

Engineers will overhaul the entire second-stage booster, not just the faulty component, and replace parts where necessary since it has nearly been five years since the second-stage rocket was manufactured in April 2008.

The technology guarantees only a five-year lifespan.

The ministry said a fresh launch date can only be decided once the overhaul is complete, but January seems a likely timeframe.

A spokesman for the Korea Aerospace Research Institute said, "There is a slim chance that the launch will be delayed until after the inauguration of the next government."