S. Korea's first rocket launch a success: former official

SEOUL, Aug. 30 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's first launch of a rocket must be viewed
as a success, despite its inability to place a satellite into orbit, a former
science and technology minister claimed Sunday.
Oh Myung, currently president of Konkuk University, said the launch of the Korea
Space Launch Vehicle-1 (KSLV-1) last week was a success since the rocket and
satellite payload reached an altitude of over 300km.
The KSLV-1, also called the Naro-1, blasted off from the Naro Space Center 485km
south of Seoul on Tuesday, but failed to deploy the 100kg scientific satellite
because one of the two nose fairings failed to detach. The mishap made it
impossible for the second stage rocket to reach the speed and altitude needed to
keep the satellite from falling back into the atmosphere.
The academic, who helped sign a space cooperation pact with Russia in September
2004 as head of the country's science policy, stressed that even countries like
the United States experience setbacks when launching rockets.
"The U.S. reported a total of eight problems related to fairings in the past,
with one taking place this year," he pointed out, adding that the success rate is
less than 30 percent for a locally assembled rocket launched from its own soil
and carrying a payload into orbit.
He said that while there is a long way to go, the country has made considerable
headway since the 1990s, when it tested its first rockets.
Oh said that through cooperation with Russia, the country has gained valuable
know-how on how rockets are designed, built, tested and launched, and the country
has built a space center that can launch future rockets into space.
He said that while space exploration is expensive, it is something South Korea
must become good at if it wants to join the ranks of leading industrialized
countries.
Technologies used to make both rockets and satellites encompass almost all
cutting-edge scientific areas and can lead to further advances in mechanics,
chemistry, electronics and communication.
In addition, he said that while the first stage rocket was built in Russia, the
knowledge gained should not be discounted.
Before cooperation with Russia started in 2002, Seoul was only able to build a
rocket with a thrust of 17t, but it has since completed building a unit capable
of 35t, with a more powerful engine being developed to launch a fully indigenous
rocket by 2018.
The university president, meanwhile, warned that there is no need to "excite"
Russian counterparts because they have done their part to help Seoul's space
program.
"Unlike other areas, foreign countries are unwilling to help South Korea gain
access to rockets and other types of technology," he stressed, making clear that
Seoul was "lucky" to get Russian help.
"At the time Russia signed the formal cooperation agreement in 2004 that got the
project moving forward, it was strapped for cash, so it accepted our offer to
jointly build the rocket," he said.
Oh said that the important thing at this juncture is to learn from past
shortcomings and prepare for the next launch, scheduled for next year.
He said that only by overcoming shortcomings can South Korea hope to become a
global leader in this sector in the next decade.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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