(MENAFN) South Korea achieved a milestone in its space ambitions early Thursday as the domestically developed Nuri rocket successfully deployed satellites into orbit, according to live broadcast footage from the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI).

The 200-ton launcher lifted off from the Naro Space Center in Goheung—situated approximately 470 kilometers south of Seoul—at 1:13 a.m. local time (1613 GMT Wednesday). Upon reaching its designated orbital altitude of 600 kilometers above Earth's surface, the vehicle deployed one primary satellite alongside 12 smaller cube satellites.

The primary payload's mission focuses on space science investigations, with particular emphasis on aurora observation.

Bae Kyung-hoon, deputy prime minister and science minister, told a televised press briefing that the fourth launch of Nuri was successful, saying it was a crucial turning point for the transition of the country's space industry ecosystem to the private-centric from the previous government-centric.

This mission represents a historic shift in South Korea's aerospace operations. Hanwha Aerospace assumed responsibility for manufacturing and assembling the launch vehicle while participating in launch procedures under KARI supervision—marking the nation's inaugural public-private collaborative space mission.

The Nuri program has evolved significantly since its inaugural attempt in October 2021, when the rocket failed to achieve orbital insertion. The second launch in June 2022 successfully positioned a test satellite into orbit, while the third mission in May 2023 deployed one small satellite and seven cube satellites.

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