S. Korea Successfully Tests Space Rocket Engine
Sumaira FH Published November 28, 2018 | 04:45 PM
South Korea on Wednesday successfully conducted a rocket engine test launch, officials said, paving the way for the development of its own space launch vehicle
Seoul, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Nov, 2018 ) :South Korea on Wednesday successfully conducted a rocket engine test launch, officials said, paving the way for the development of its own space launch vehicle.
Video footage showed the single-stage rocket, propelled by a liquid fuel engine, lift off from the Naro Space Center on the southern coast and surge into the sky, trailing yellow and blue flames.
"The test vehicle was successfully launched," Vice Science Minister Lee Jin-gyu told journalists, adding collected flight data showed the engine was functioning normally.
The rocket, weighing 52 tonnes and measuring 25.8 metres (84.6 feet) long, was fitted with a single engine with 75-tonne thrust, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) said.
The engine, designed and developed as part of a $1.8 billion project, will be used to propel the country's first indigenous three-stage launch vehicle -- the Korea Space Launch Vehicle-2 (KSLV-2).
Engine combustion lasted for 151 seconds, surpassing an initial goal of 140 seconds, bringing the vehicle to an altitude of 75 kilometres (46 miles) before the engine stopped.
But it continued flying due to inertia, reaching a suborbital altitude of 209 kilometres, 319 seconds after lift-off.
It then splashed down into the ocean 429 kilometres southeast of the southern resort island of Jeju.
"This is a significant step forward in developing a launch vehicle with our own technology," a KARI spokesman said.
It is the first such launch in South Korea since 2013 when the country successfully put a small satellite into orbit following failures in 2009 and in 2010.
But the significance of the 2013 launch was widely discounted as the launch vehicle had to rely on a Russian-developed engine for its first stage.
On its launch -- scheduled for 2021 -- KSLV-2 will use five of the newly developed engines, a cluster of four for the first stage, another one for the second stage and a small, seven-tonne thrust engine for the third stage, Lee said.
Wednesday's test was deemed successful as the engine combustion was maintained for more than 140 seconds during the test launch, he said.
The KSLV-2 rocket, which will be South Korea's first space vehicle wholly designed and built by itself, will be used to place satellites into the Earth's orbit and for other commercial applications.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
PM Shehbaz asked to extend hand to Imran Khan, India
BISE Hyderabad to announce HSC-Il result exams on April 25
ARI calls for comprehensive measures to curb tobacco use
Sana named ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier ambassador
DWE extends training to 300,000 workers of 350 industries in twin city
Stone Lifter Martin Licis showcases skills at Haripur cultural sports competitio ..
WASA disconnects 144 connections of defaulters
Govt committed to double exports' volume in 5 years: PM
Dacoit killed during conflict with locals
Vietnam hails Gandhara Corridor project for cultural tourism promotion
Price Control Magistrates conduct crackdown against price hike
14 stolen bikes recovered, gang leader arrested
More Stories From World
-
N. Macedonia starts elections that could decide stalled EU talks
33 minutes ago -
Haaland ruled out of Man City's crucial trip to Brighton
33 minutes ago -
Four dead as floods wreak havoc in Kenyan capital
33 minutes ago -
Thousands in heatwave-hit Bangladesh pray for rain
1 hour ago -
EU urges probe into reported mass graves at Gaza hospitals
1 hour ago -
Gucci owner Kering's shares sink after profit warning
1 hour ago
-
Extreme heat scorches Southeast Asia, bringing school closures and warnings
1 hour ago -
Ambassador Hashmi greets China on Space Day
2 hours ago -
Mass cancellations loom despite French air union calling off strike
2 hours ago -
Record-breaking London stocks spearhead global rally
2 hours ago -
'City Hunter' manga hero drops the sexism for new live-action film
2 hours ago -
Russian deputy defence minister held over bribery accusations
2 hours ago