S Korea to conduct 1st launch of commercial-grade satellite

By HYUNG-JIN KIM
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea plans to conduct its first launch of a commercial-grade satellite aboard a domestically built rocket next month as part of its space development program. The Science Ministry said Tuesday that the launch of its homegrown Nuri rocket is set to take place from a southern on May 24. Last year, South Korea successfully launched its first satellite using the Nuri rocket. But that was a “performance verification” satellite mainly designed to examine the capacity of the rocke while next month’s launch is meant to put a commercial-grade satellite into orbit for the first time. Some experts say the development of such rockets would eventually help South Korea acquire technologies for bigger missiles and reconnaissance satellites amid animosities with rival North Korea.