ATTENTION ON NEW LAUNCH SCHEDULE

[Anchor Lead]

All eyes are on when the Nuri space rocket will be launched into space. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute says it's unlikely to happen on Thursday.

[Pkg]

Korea’s first homegrown space rocket, the Nuri has zero chance of flying into space on Thursday. All eyes are on whether or not another attempt to launch can be made before the reported launch period comes to an end. Korea has reported to the international community that it would launch the Nuri by June 23. If nothing happens within this period, a new timeline will have to be set, resulting in a significant delay of the scheduled launch.

[Soundbite] Ko Jeong-hwan(Head, KSLV-II R&D Directorate, KARI) : "We would have to cancel the date we have already reported, set a new date and report it to the international community."

The upcoming monsoon season could also affect the chances of the timely Nuri launch. It's yet unclear when another attempt will be made. It could take a while to fix a sensor that's causing the technical defects.

[Soundbite] Ko Jeong-hwan(Head, KSLV-II R&D Directorate, KARI) : "We can only set a new date after identifying which component is causing a problem. We need to transport the rocket as soon as possible for inspection."

If the problem does lie in the sensor, the lid of the oxidizer tank will have to be removed, which could take a long time. However, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute says if the problem is in the sensor cable or the signal converter, the required component can be replaced quickly. KARI plans to convene a rocket launch committee meeting again as soon as the problem is fixed to set the date of the Nuri launch.