Booster Removed From Launch Pad Following 'Technical Problem'

South Korea has been forced to delay a rocket launch that is critical to its efforts to develop a domestic satellite launch system. The countdown was halted 17 minutes before the spacecraft was to have launched Thursday.

Deputy Science Minister Cho Yul-Rae said that an unspecified technical problem caused the launch to be scrubbed, according to a report from the French news service AFP. He said that a problem was detected that appeared to be in the propulsion system of the rocket's second stage, and offered no new timeline for another launch attempt.

The launch has been delayed twice before. Most recently, South Korea attempted to launch the rocket on October 26th, but that mission was scrubbed after a broken rubber seal in a connector between the launch pad and the first stage was detected by engineers.

The first stage of the KSLV-1 (Korea Space Launch Vehicle) rocket is manufactured in Russia. The second stage was built by South Korea, and its engine burns a solid fuel.

Kim Seung-Jo, president of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute indicated that the launch window is open only until December 5th, and it is not known if the problem can be corrected in time for another attempt.

South Korea is working towards joining a fairly exclusive club of Asian countries with space launch capability. Currently, only China, India, and Japan are able to launch their own satellites into orbit.

FMI: www.kari.re.kr/eng