Fourth Nuriho Launch Scheduled for Early Morning on November 27

Backup Launch Window Set for November 28 to December 4

The fourth launch of the Nuriho is scheduled to take place between 00:54 and 01:14 on November 27, 2025.

The Korea Aerospace Administration announced on September 30, 2025, that the Launch Management Committee had decided on November 27 as the target launch date for the fourth Nuriho launch at its meeting on September 26.

The Korean launch vehicle Nuriho (KSLV-II) is leaving the launch pad and heading into space. / Goheung=Photo by Joint Press Corps

The exact launch time will be finalized at the Launch Management Committee meeting on November 26, 2025.

The Launch Management Committee of the Korea Aerospace Administration carefully reviewed the preparation status for the fourth Nuriho launch, including the final assembly schedule for Nuriho, the satellite schedule, facilities at Naro Space Center (such as the launch pad and range system), and launch conditions (including weather, space environment, and the possibility of collision with space objects), and set November 27 as the planned launch date.

To account for possible schedule changes due to unexpected variables such as weather, the launch backup period has been set from November 28 to December 4, 2025.

The planned launch window, from 00:54 to 01:14, was determined based on the mission orbit (altitude of 600 km) required for the main payload, the Next-Generation Medium Satellite No. 3, which is tasked with observing Earth's auroras and airglow, as well as measuring the space magnetic field and plasma.

Currently, preparations for the actual launch, such as the installation of pyrotechnics and satellite integration, are proceeding smoothly following the successful completion of the oxidizer loading and unloading pre-test (Wet Dress Rehearsal, WDR) on September 18, 2025. The status of the 13 satellites to be loaded onto Nuriho has also been checked and finalized, and they are scheduled to be delivered to the space center by the end of October.

At Naro Space Center, two performance verification tests have been conducted to maintain the performance of the launch pad system, and night operation training was carried out in consideration of the early morning timing of the fourth Nuriho launch. The construction and trial operation of the hydrazine fueling facility for the main payload, the Next-Generation Medium Satellite No. 3, have also been reviewed and confirmed.

In addition, the range system, which tracks Nuriho's flight status in real time, has undergone regular performance checks, and preparations are being made to ensure everything is ready. Starting in November, the system will be switched to launch-ready status to prepare for the fourth launch operation.

Furthermore, to prepare for emergencies and ensure public safety during the launch preparation and launch process, the first launch safety control command post drill was held on September 25, 2025, and a final comprehensive inspection and drill is planned for the end of October.

Yoon Youngbin, Commissioner of the Korea Aerospace Administration, stated, "The fourth Nuriho launch will be the first launch since the establishment of the Korea Aerospace Administration," adding, "It is significant as the first launch in which the system integrator company will oversee the production and assembly of launch vehicle components and jointly participate in launch operations." He continued, "Although there has been a gap of about two years and six months since the third Nuriho launch, the Korea Aerospace Administration, Korea Aerospace Research Institute, the system integrator company, and all related industries are working together as one team to prepare for the launch. We will ensure that every aspect is prepared without error until the launch day to achieve a successful fourth launch."

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