Korea to Test Space Rocket Engine

The first test flight of a homegrown space rocket engine will be conducted at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province later this month.

The Ministry of Science and ICT on Tuesday said the test model will be launched on Nov. 28 unless unexpected problems occur, in which case there will be further launch windows between Nov. 29 and Dec. 4. 

The 25.8-m long test model has a 75-ton thrust engine, which will be mounted on the Korea Space Launch Vehicle-2 (KSLV-2), also known as Nuri. It will fly for about 10 minutes before hitting international waters in the Pacific Ocean.

The launch was originally planned for Oct. 25, but problems in the propellant pressurization system led to the postponement.

The Korea Aerospace Research Institute is developing the KSLV-2 to put a 1.5-ton satellite into orbit and plans to launch it by 2021.