Naro-1 launch likely to be rescheduled for next month

The launch of Korea`s Naro-1 space rocket will likely be rescheduled for mid-November. The lift-off was suspended Friday due to a damaged rubber ring on the first-stage rocket.

The Korea Aerospace Research Institute said Sunday that Korean and Russian scientists at a meeting of a bilateral flight testing committee Saturday confirmed damage to the part, but that several more days are needed to identify the cause. Both sides sent the damaged part to its manufacturer in Moscow.

As a result, the Korean Education, Science and Technology Ministry will make preparations for another launch next month by holding a third meeting of the Naro-1 rocket launch management committee Monday morning, judging it is practically impossible to launch the projectile by Wednesday, the last of the alternative launch dates originally selected.

Noh Gyeong-won, head of the ministry`s strategic technological development bureau, said, “Since the exact cause of the launch suspension hasn`t been identified, it`s difficult to set a specific date for another launch.”

Even if the cause is identified and repair work is completed within this week, the rocket cannot be launched immediately. Korea must first inform the International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Maritime Organization of a new schedule for launch and the trajectory of the first-stage rocket, a process that generally takes one to two weeks.

uneasy75@donga.com