South Korean space officials have said they will delay the country's first
space launch until the second quarter of 2009, according to local press reports.
The Korea Space Launch Vehicle (KSLV) is intended to be the first space craft
to reach orbit from a launch site in Korea.
The two stage KSLV-1 is being developed by Korea with Russian assistance. The
lower first stage of the craft is built in Russia, based on the Angara rocket
design.
The upper stage has been developed in Korea. It will also carry a
Korean-built satellite into low earth orbit. While several Korean-owned or
developed satellites have been put into orbit in the past, they have been
launched in other countries.
The news of the delay was widely anticipated, as officials have been
suggesting that more thorough systems checks may be needed before launch.
The launch has been delayed in part because the Russian-designed launch pad
and ground test equipment were delivered this weekend – more than a month behind
schedule, officials said. In addition, some Chinese-made rocket parts were
delivered late as a result of the the devastating earthquake that hit Southwest
China in May.
Delays were advisable because "the government places the greatest importance
on a successful first launch," said Lee Ki-sung, chief of the government's space
development division told the Yonhap News Agency.
The KSLV-1 launch has already been delayed from an initial date in 2007. The
23-metre-high rocket weighs approximately 140 tons. It has a liquid-fuelled
first stage and solid-fuelled second stage.
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