SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH OF NURI

[Anchor Lead]

South Korea has successfully launched its homegrown space rocket Nuri in a second attempt. The rocket reached an altitude of 700 kilometers and put a performance verification satellite into orbit. The second launch was a complete success after a partial success achieved in the first attempt 8 months ago. The feat is all the more meaningful as the space vehicle was developed fully through Korean technology.

[Pkg]

[Soundbite] "5,4,3,2,1…."

With a thundering roar... Nuri blasts off belching out a pillar of smoke. With a yellow blaze clearly visible, the rocket soars into the sky and off to space. Weather conditions and a technical glitch forced a delay. The journey has not been smooth. However Tuesday’s launch took place right on schedule amid clear weather. The first stage rocket at the very bottom separated 2 minutes after liftoff at an altitude of 62 kilometers... Followed by the fairing which covered the performance verification satellite. Then the middle part of the rocket also separated in sequence. In less than 15 minutes, Nuri reached the target altitude of 700 kilometers, then released and deployed the verification and dummy satellites on orbit. Then in the following 30 minutes, officials at a ground station analyzed flight and location data and confirmed the launch was successful.

[Soundbite] Lee Jong-ho(Minister of Science and ICT) : "Nuri reached the target altitude and successfully put the verification satellite into orbit. I announce the success of the rocket launch."

The second attempt coming after 8 months ended in a resounding success with a satellite put into orbit. South Korea has become only the seventh country in the world to launch a satellite weighing over one ton using a domestically developed space rocket.