ID :
73967
Thu, 08/06/2009 - 11:55
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https://www.oananews.org//node/73967
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Korea's space rocket launch may be delayed again: official
By Lee Joon-seung
SEOUL, Aug. 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korea may again postpone the launch of its first space rocket scheduled for next week due to unforeseen technical problems with the craft's Russian-made main booster, a government official said Wednesday.
The delay would mark the second such snare in the planned liftoff of the Korea
Space Launch Vehicle-1 (KSLV-1) in less than two weeks. The launch was originally
scheduled for July 30 but was pushed back to Tuesday.
"A review of data from the rocket's hot fire test effectively made it hard to
meet the Aug. 11 date," said Moon Hai-joo, a senior official at the Ministry of
Education, Science and Technology.
Russia's Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center said Thursday that
a fire test to check the performance and safety of the main booster rocket was
initially a success.
"Cross-checking of data, however, showed some anomalies in the test results that
require more analysis by experts," Moon said, declining to go into details.
He added that while next Tuesday's launch may have to be postponed, it is too
early to say with certainty that the launch will not take place before Aug. 18.
After last month's postponement, Seoul said the launch would take place between
Aug. 11 and Aug. 18.
"The launch will be determined by reviewing the 'technical issues' cited by
Khrunichev," Moon said. "South Korean engineers are examining the data along with
their Russian counterparts."
The ministry, meanwhile, said that it will try to reach a "definitive" decision
Thursday on when to launch the space rocket.
If the technical problems are deemed serious, Seoul may push back the KSLV-1
blastoff date further, it added.
South Korea began the project in August 2002 and planned to launch the rocket in
October 2007. With no experience in space exploration, Seoul has worked with
Russia to build its first space rocket.
The rocket, developed at a cost of 502.5 billion won (US$410.4 million), stands
33 meters tall, has a diameter of just under 3 meters and weighs 140 tons.
The first-stage main booster rocket made in Russia can produce a thrust of 170
tons, while the smaller, locally-made second-stage booster can generate 8 tons of
thrust. The rocket is designed to put a 100kg scientific satellite into orbit.
SEOUL, Aug. 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korea may again postpone the launch of its first space rocket scheduled for next week due to unforeseen technical problems with the craft's Russian-made main booster, a government official said Wednesday.
The delay would mark the second such snare in the planned liftoff of the Korea
Space Launch Vehicle-1 (KSLV-1) in less than two weeks. The launch was originally
scheduled for July 30 but was pushed back to Tuesday.
"A review of data from the rocket's hot fire test effectively made it hard to
meet the Aug. 11 date," said Moon Hai-joo, a senior official at the Ministry of
Education, Science and Technology.
Russia's Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center said Thursday that
a fire test to check the performance and safety of the main booster rocket was
initially a success.
"Cross-checking of data, however, showed some anomalies in the test results that
require more analysis by experts," Moon said, declining to go into details.
He added that while next Tuesday's launch may have to be postponed, it is too
early to say with certainty that the launch will not take place before Aug. 18.
After last month's postponement, Seoul said the launch would take place between
Aug. 11 and Aug. 18.
"The launch will be determined by reviewing the 'technical issues' cited by
Khrunichev," Moon said. "South Korean engineers are examining the data along with
their Russian counterparts."
The ministry, meanwhile, said that it will try to reach a "definitive" decision
Thursday on when to launch the space rocket.
If the technical problems are deemed serious, Seoul may push back the KSLV-1
blastoff date further, it added.
South Korea began the project in August 2002 and planned to launch the rocket in
October 2007. With no experience in space exploration, Seoul has worked with
Russia to build its first space rocket.
The rocket, developed at a cost of 502.5 billion won (US$410.4 million), stands
33 meters tall, has a diameter of just under 3 meters and weighs 140 tons.
The first-stage main booster rocket made in Russia can produce a thrust of 170
tons, while the smaller, locally-made second-stage booster can generate 8 tons of
thrust. The rocket is designed to put a 100kg scientific satellite into orbit.
