Nuri Rocket Ready for Blastoff

Korea's first homegrown space rocket was set up at a launch pad at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province on Wednesday morning ready for launch on Thursday afternoon.

It will be launched at 4 p.m. unless there is any problem in final pre-launch checks.

The Nuri was developed and produced with input from about 300 companies as well as the Korea Aerospace Research Institute which took 11-and-a-half years.

Whether the launch is a success or not will be known until 16 minutes after blastoff. Korea will then become the world's seventh country with the capability to send a satellite into space with its own technology.