South Korea is set to launch a locally-developed rocket in 2021...and as preparation, it will test a booster engine that will be a part of the rocket in the coming weeks.
Cho Sung-min reports.
The Korea Aerospace Research Institute revealed a new rocket booster engine, slated to be test-launched in October.
The unveiled engine is nearly 26 meters high and three meters wide,...and it has been designed to take up more than half the total length of a domestic-built carrier rocket dubbed Nuri.
Nuri is a three-stage rocket developed entirely with homegrown technology, and it will serve to launch a 1.5-ton satellite into the Earth's orbit in 2021.

Researchers say the primary mission of the upcoming test is to inspect the engine's performance level.

"We are looking at shooting a 75-ton engine into outer space. That means we want to first and foremost check out the engine power,...because that is one of the factors that determines whether a rocket launch is successful or not."

According to the team, the booster has fully combusted for one-hundred-fifty-four seconds in an engine test conducted in July.
That is more than ten seconds longer than what the team considers as a successful run.

Industry experts say, once the test launch succeeds, the result could benefit several fields related to space engineering.

"When the test turns out successful, we expect the booster technology to be particularly helpful in the military department."

The booster engine is set to be launched on October 25th from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, Jeollanam-do Province...and if the test is successful, a total of five booster engines will be used in the first and second stage to thrust out Nuri in 2021.
Cho Sung-min, arirang news.