Nuri’s Second Launch Date Set for June 2022!
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2022-03-02
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Nuri’s Second Launch Date Set for June 2022!
Scheduled to launch between June 15 and 23 after technical adjustments
□ The Ministry of Science and ICT (hereinafter “MSIT”; Minister Lim Hyesook) has mapped out technical improvements to be made to KSLV-II (hereinafter “Nuri”) and finalized the future timeline, announcing that the details thereof have been deliberated and confirmed at the 40th meeting of the Working Committee on Space Development and Promotion (February 25, 2022).
□ Nuri’s maiden flight on October 21, 2021, was a major milestone that attested to Korea’s successful home-grown launch capabilities but failed to place the dummy satellite into the target orbit due to a premature shutdown of the third-stage engine.
o After the first launch, MSIT put together the Nuri Launch Investigation Committee, which conducted an investigation into the reasons behind the failure (November – December 2021). The Committee concluded that the main reason contributing to the failure was the loose support structures anchoring the helium tank inside the third-stage oxidizer tank.
o Researchers at Korea Aerospace Research Institute (hereinafter “KARI”; President Lee Sang-ryool) have been hard at work fleshing out the details of technical improvements and measures Nuri requires. A dedicated evaluation team comprising independent experts from the industry, academia, and research institutes has recently completed its review of these improvements and measures.
□ The most important improvements that Nuri will undergo will be alterations and reinforcements to the lower anchoring device of the helium tank equipped inside the third-stage oxidizer tank and to the structure of the manhole cover.
o Among other adjustments, the anchoring device on the lower support structure of the helium tank will be redesigned to provide stronger support and a thicker manhole cover will be used to ensure stability in flight throughout changing flight environments.
o Since the third stage of the flight model that will be used for the second launch was already assembled last year, KARI will disassemble the third stage rocket to apply the adjustments once they are finished and reassemble the rocket, which will then be followed by a leak test.
o Once these technical improvements have been made, the three stages of the flight model will be stacked, and the dummy satellite will be loaded onto the vehicle. This process will take roughly one month to complete, pushing back the launch schedule from its original launch date in May 2022 to mid-June 2022.
o The tentative launch date for Nuri’s second flight is June 15, with reserved launch dates set for June 16 to 23. The Launch Management Committee will finalize the launch date after accounting for the weather and other variables.
□ Director-General Kwon Hyun-joon of the Space, Nuclear and Big Science Policy Bureau of MSIT stated that “KARI and relevant businesses are dedicated to making the technical improvements to Nuri a success”, adding that “the government will also put its best foot forward to ensure launch preparations go smoothly.”