Photo: Khrunichev

The Korea Space Launch Vehicle-I (KSLV-I), South Korea's first space rocket, is wheeled to its launch pad at Naro Space Center in Goheung, 350 km south of Seoul on October 24, 2012.

KSLV-1, also known as Naro-1, is transfered to a launch pad at the Naro Space Center, on Oct. 24, two days before its scheduled launch. (Photo courtesy of KARI)

Rocket preparation

KSLV-1 being raised at the Naro Space Center

The Korea Satellite Launch Vehicle lifted off at 4 p.m. local time from the Naro Space Center in South Korea.

Description:

• KSLV is South Korea’s first Orbital Launch Vehicle that is built by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) and the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center, Russia. The rocket is based on the Universal Rocket Module that is built by Khrunichev and a KSR second stage built by KARI. At Liftoff, the rocket weighs 140,000 Kilograms standing 33 meters tall with a diameter of 2.9 meters.
• The Universal Rocket Module is part of the Russian Angara rocket that is currently being developed. Angara, a heavy lift launch vehicle capable of lifting up to 40,500 Kilograms into Low Earth Orbit, is based on a modular design and would fly with 1, 3, 5 or 7 URMs as first stage. KSLV on the other hand, is a light-weight launcher, and only uses a single, down-powered URM as its first stage. The first stage is 2.9 meters in diameter, 25.1 meters long and has an empty weight of about 10,000kg. At liftoff it holds more than 120,000kg of propellants, Liquid Oxygen and Rocket- Grade Kerosene.
• The Angara URM uses an RD-191 engine with a Sea Level thrust of 1,920 Kilonewtons, whereas the KSLV is equipped with an RD-151 engine that is a down-powered version of the RD-191 with a reduced thrust of 1,670kN. It has a specific impulse of 338 seconds. The first stage burns 240 seconds.
• The second stage that is a development of KARI, is a KSR-1 Solid Rocket Motor that is also used on South Korean Sounding Rockets. It provides a thrust of 86.2 Kilonewtons and burns for about 25 seconds, burning through about 1,000kg of solid propellant.
• Founded in 2009, this would represent the first successful launch from the Naro Space Center and a first for either of the two Koreas in their bids to become space-faring nations.But it’s not the first time South Korea has been to space, by any means. South Korea has sent satellites aloft with other carriers abroad such as Koreasat 6 launched by the ESA in 2010, and even fielded one astronaut in space thus far, Yi So-yeon who journeyed to the International Space Station in 2008 from Baikonur for a 10 day stay.
• The first keystone laid during construction of the Naro Space Center was brought over from Gagarin’s original launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome.
• Now, the attempt to launch the KSLV-1 rocket will represent South Korea’s third attempt to launch the from its own site under its own power. The first attempt in 2009 failed to reach orbit and the 2nd attempt is thought to have exploded about 137 seconds after launch when contact was lost. But these are the growing pains of a national space program.
• Launch delayed from Oct 26, 2012.
• On 29 November 2012, during pre-launch processing of KSLV-1 at the Naro Launch Base (South Korea) faults were detected with Stage 2. At the request of the Korean side ground processing was halted.
• According to preliminary data, an instrument replacement on Stage 2 is required. The launch vehicle is being removed from the pad to be rolled back to the technical complex for fault correction. Stage 1 of KSLV-1 is a prototype of Angara Stage 1, designed and manufactured by Khrunichev.