Rocket from Japan Explodes 15 Minutes After Launch... "Nuriho Will End in Complete Failure," Harsh Criticism

Japanese Netizens "If Debris Falls, Japan Self-Defense Forces Will Intercept"
Baseless Criticism Claiming 'Russian-Made Korean Rocket'
Japan's Recent Experience with Failed Indigenous Launch Vehicle 'H3'

The Korean launch vehicle Nuriho (KSLV-II), developed with domestic technology, is set to embark on its third launch carrying practical satellites. Some Japanese netizens have shown cold reactions, even wishing for the failure of the Nuriho launch.

Japan's large rocket H3 (left, JAXA YouTube), which failed to launch due to engine problems, and Nuriho (right)

The scheduled launch time for the Korean launch vehicle Nuriho is 6:24 PM on the 24th. The exact launch time will be decided within 30 minutes before or after this time. However, if there is a possibility of collision with space objects or if conditions such as wind are unfavorable, the launch may be postponed.

The Korean launch vehicle Nuriho (KSLV-II) is preparing for its third launch.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

This mission of Nuriho aims to place eight practical satellites into orbit at an altitude of 550 km. It had already succeeded in placing dummy satellites (satellite simulators) into orbit during its second launch in June last year.

As the Nuriho launch was scheduled, according to articles related to the Nuriho launch posted on the Japanese Yahoo Japan portal and online communities on the same day, Japanese netizens left comments wishing for the failure of the 'Nuriho launch.'

On '5ch,' an anonymous Japanese online community, malicious comments such as "When the alarm rings at 6 PM, let's take shelter underground," "If debris falls in Japan, the Self-Defense Forces must intercept it," and "No one in the world cares" have been posted.

A representative distortion related to Nuriho is the claim that Nuriho was made with Russian technology.

Nuriho: All processes including design, manufacturing, and testing are based on independent technology

Last March, Japan's JAXA successfully launched the H3 No.1 rocket, but when the second-stage rocket engine failed to ignite during ascent, the vehicle was destroyed.
[Photo by AP·Yonhap News]

Nuriho’s design, manufacturing, and testing processes were all carried out using independent technology. In particular, the Nuriho engine is purely domestic technology, starting from the development of core components of a 30-ton class engine in 2007.

However, some 'anti-Korean' netizens who dislike Korea are fixated on the fact that the previous Naro rocket was co-developed with Russia, leading to distorted perceptions.

Japanese netizens typically respond with comments like, "I hope the Nuriho launch, made from blueprints scavenged from Russian trash bins, goes well. But it will probably end in a big failure," and "Are you prepared with excuses or to shift responsibility if it fails?"

One reason Japanese netizens wish for Nuriho’s failure stems from the recent failure of Japan’s launch vehicle 'H3.'

Japan also began developing the H3 in 2014. As a replacement for the existing main large rocket H2A, Japan invested about 206 billion yen (approximately 2 trillion won) from 2014, with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries jointly developing the H3 rocket.

The first H3 rocket was launched in March but failed when the second-stage rocket engine did not ignite during ascent. JAXA abandoned the mission and self-destructed the vehicle. In October last year, Japan’s small solid-fuel rocket Epsilon No. 6 also failed to launch. This was the first failure of Japan’s main rocket launch since the 6th H2A rocket in November 2003, marking 19 years since the last failure.

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