South Korea Successfully Test Launches Its Space Launch Vehicle
South Korea’s test of its anticipated space launch vehicle was a success:
South Korea successfully tested its locally developed rocket engine on Wednesday, officials said, taking a step closer to the full-fledged development of the country’s first space launch vehicle.
The test of the 75-ton thrust engine was conducted using a single-stage rocket that was launched from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, at 4:00 p.m.
The rocket engine, designed and developed by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), will be used on the three-stage Korea Space Launch Vehicle-2 (KSLV-2) currently under development.
The 75-ton thrust engine is considered a core technology behind the KSLV-2, which would make South Korea the seventh country in the world to build a space launch vehicle with homegrown technology.
The Ministry of Science and ICT and KARI said the critical rocket motor combustion time was maintained for 151 seconds, surpassing an initial goal of 140 seconds.
KARI said evaluating the performance of a liquid propellant rocket engine is determined by the length of the total combustion time.
The rocket flew for about 10 minutes after reaching a maximum suborbital altitude of 209 kilometers and hit the ocean 429 kilometers southeast of the country’s southern resort island of Jeju. [Yonhap]
You can read more at the link, but what I am wondering is if the North Koreans will begin making demands to allow them to advance a so called peaceful space program like the South Koreans? Much of the technology used for space launches can be used to perfect ICBM’s as well.
The biggest question would be is if the North Koreans make this demand would the Moon administration support them?
I don’t think the North is going to complain about this rocket launch because it’s going to benefit them once they take over. Moon is just helping them out.
“…..would the Moon administration support them?” Support them, commie moon will give them the engine…and the rocket.