Space Rocket Launch Delayed

The second launch of the Nuri space rocket, which was scheduled for Thursday, has been delayed after a problem was found with an oxidizer tank sensor.

The Korea Aerospace Research Institute said Wednesday that the Nuri has been taken down from the launch pad. The launch was initially planned for Wednesday but was postponed due to bad weather.

The problem was discovered on a sensor that gauges the level of oxidizer in the fuel tank. "Once we discovered the problem around 2:15 p.m., staff tried to find the source of the sensor error in the field. But it was difficult to identify the source with the rocket standing upright," said Goh Jung-Hwan at KARI. When asked when the next launch date is, Goh said, "It's difficult to say."

The first launch in October last year failed when the third-stage booster burned out earlier than expected as a result of the loosening of a device that anchors the helium tank inside the oxidizer tank. KARI fixed the problem by changing the design of the oxidizer tank.

KARI plans to conduct four more launches of the Nuri until 2027.