"Why Did the Previously Fine Sensor Malfunction?"... What Will Happen to Nuriho's Second Launch?

Sudden Halt During Final Check on the Afternoon of the 15th Before Second Launch on the 16th
Oxidizer Tank Sensor Anomaly Detected, Moved to Assembly Building for Detailed Inspection
Future Launch Schedule Uncertain, KAIST Says "Depends on Severity of Malfunction"
Experts Say "Common Occurrence, Should Encourage and Monitor"

The Korean launch vehicle Nuriho (KSLV-II) is being transported to the launch pad at Naro Space Center in Goheung-gun, Jeollanam-do on the 15th. Provided by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] South Korea's first indigenous space launch vehicle, 'Nuriho,' has failed to take its second step toward completion. Due to an abnormality in the measurement sensor, the second launch scheduled for the afternoon of the 16th was canceled and inspection began.

On the morning of the 15th, Nuriho was transported to the second launch pad at Naro Space Center in Goheung, Jeollanam-do, and final inspections started in the afternoon. However, around 2:05 PM, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) technical team confirmed that although the vehicle was moved lying down and then stood upright, the measurement values of the oxidizer tank filling sensor did not change. An emergency inspection concluded that the sensor was faulty, and on-site repair was considered, but it was determined to be impossible while the vehicle was upright. KARI held a launch management committee meeting with the Ministry of Science and ICT and decided to first lower Nuriho from the launch pad and transport it to the assembly building for a detailed inspection. Nuriho was lowered from the launch pad, transported to the Naro Space Center assembly building that night, and is currently under inspection. KARI is disassembling Nuriho again to analyze the cause. Ko Jeong-hwan, head of KARI's Korea Launch Vehicle Development Project, said in a briefing shortly after, "We need to disassemble and examine the oxidizer tank lid equipped with the valve."

Although the launch on the afternoon of the 16th was canceled, if the malfunction involves easily replaceable or inspectable parts such as wires or terminals, the launch could still be possible within the reserved period set until the 24th. However, if the sensor and related components need to be replaced entirely, repairs will take at least a month. If the launch fails within the reserved period, rescheduling the Nuriho launch will require coordination and notification among domestic and international agencies, considering weather conditions, space objects, and solar activity, among other controls, which could significantly delay the launch.

Experts advise that since such incidents are common even among global space powers and top private companies like SpaceX, rather than criticism, support and monitoring for overcoming the issue are necessary. Brazil experienced a major disaster with 21 fatalities due to an explosion during launch vehicle development, and the European Union (EU) abandoned its project after several launch failures. On the 12th, the U.S. private space company Astra launched Rocket 3.3 carrying small satellites for NASA but failed to insert the satellites into orbit due to anomalies immediately after the separation of the first and second stages.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.