The rocket, KSLV-II NURI (often called simply 'Nuri'), reached its target altitude, but failed to deliver a dummy payload into orbit. It aimed to deliver the payload into orbit 600 to 800km above Earth’s surface.
The rocket's three stages were powered by liquid-fuel boosters built by an affiliate of South Korea's Hanwha conglomerate, with a cluster of four 75-tonne boosters in the first stage, another 75-tonne booster in the second, and a single 7-tonne rocket engine in the third and final stage. It is 47m in length.
The launch had been delayed by an hour because engineers needed more time to examine the rocket’s valves. There had also been concerns that strong winds and other conditions would pose challenges for a successful launch.
Streamed footage showed Nuri launching from Naro Space Centre, which is located on a small island off South Korea’s southern coast. Launch data seems to show that the third stage’s engine burned out after...