South Korea's first space rocket launch was a dismal failure, although government officials insist on calling it a "half-success".' The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), the country's space agency, doesn't intend to leave any doubts this time around as it prepares to light up the Korea Space Launch Vehicle 1 (KSLV-1) again for an optimistic retry on June 9. Read more
After a first "half-successful" attempt to launch a space rocket in 2009, South Korean engineers' preparations for a second launch are proceeding smoothly with complete success anticipated in the new year, the head of the country's aerospace agency said Tuesday. Lee Joo-jin, president of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), said local companies and laboratories have already completed building the second-stage rocket and scientific satellite, while Russia reported it can meet launch schedules set for the first half of 2010. Read more