“Historic Moment, Proud and Moved” Cheers and Exclamations from Spectators at Nuriho Success [Nuriho Success]

The Korean launch vehicle Nuriho (KSLV-II), designed and manufactured entirely with domestic technology, is soaring into space with flames erupting from the launch pad at Naro Space Center in Goheung-gun, Jeollanam-do on the 21st. Unlike the first launch, which carried only a dummy satellite with no actual functionality, the second launch of Nuriho this time included a performance verification satellite and four CubeSats. / Goheung = Photo by Joint Press Corps

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Eun-mo] On the 21st, the Goheung Space Launch Observatory, located about 15 km from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, Jeollanam-do, was bustling from early morning with spectators eager to witness the historic moment of the Korean launch vehicle Nuriho (KSLV-II) launch. Visitors gathered from all over the country took their places in the outdoor parking lot of the observatory, the nearby Namyeol Sunrise Beach, and along the coastal road shoulder to watch the launch.

Visitors who had secured shaded spots early and waited for the Nuriho launch time began to gather in large numbers at locations with a clear view of the launch pad as the scheduled launch time of 4 p.m. approached. Their faces showed a mix of anticipation and anxiety. When the countdown began one minute before launch, some citizens raised their phones to record the launch scene on video or take commemorative photos.

At 4 p.m., as Nuriho took off with a roar and flames, ascending into the blue sky, the spectators waved Taegeukgi flags and cheered in unison. Although it was only a moment until Nuriho disappeared from sight, they did not take their eyes off the trajectory drawn by Nuriho, as if not wanting to miss a single historic moment. Some used their phone’s zoom function, binoculars, or high-performance cameras to see more details. Some were moved to tears by the flight of Nuriho.

On the 21st, citizens are watching the launch scene of the Korean launch vehicle Nuriho (KSLV-II) on TV in the waiting room of Seoul Station, Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Even after Nuriho disappeared from view, spectators could not leave and gathered in front of monitors broadcasting the live feed. They cheered joyfully each time real-time updates were announced, such as "normal flight in progress" or "engine successfully separated." Upon hearing the news of a successful launch in front of the broadcast monitor, the spectators clapped their hands together in celebration.

Online, many citizens also watched the live broadcast of the second Nuriho launch with hopes for success and cheered. Nearly 1,000 viewers gathered on the official YouTube channel of the National Gwacheon Science Museum starting 30 minutes before the scheduled launch time. They expressed their wishes for success through real-time chat messages like "It will definitely succeed today" and "Please fly high." Before the launch, nearly 1,500 citizens gathered online, expressing their expectations with messages such as "Let's go to space!"

On that day at 4 p.m., Nuriho took off from the launch pad at Naro Space Center in Bongrae-myeon, Goheung-gun, Jeollanam-do. After 2 minutes, the first stage separated at an altitude of 59 km. Two minutes later, the second stage separated at an altitude of 258 km, and the third stage engine was activated. After 14 minutes, at an altitude of 700 km, a performance verification satellite weighing about 180 kg was separated, and a 1.3-ton mock satellite called the "satellite mock-up" was deployed. Based on data analysis results, the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute announced the success of the launch at 5:10 p.m. that day.

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