Anchor: South Korea is set to launch its first homeground space rocket, Nuri, for the third time as it carries eight application satellites into orbit on Wednesday. The rocket was transported to the launch pad early Tuesday ahead of Wednesday's launch.
Choi You Sun reports.

Report: The country's first domestically developed Nuri space rocket has been transported to a launch pad at the Naro Space Center in the southwestern county of Goheung, one day ahead of launch.

According to the science ministry on Tuesday, the three-stage launch vehicle left the assembly building at 7:20 a.m. and traveled one-point-eight kilometers to the launch pad at a speed of one-point-five kilometers per hour, arriving at 8:54 a.m.

The rocket has since been erected on the pad, where the final preparatory stage began with inspections of the hydraulic and pneumatic pressure systems as well as the electricity within the fuselage.

The ministry said the installation at the pad is expected to be completed by 7 p.m. Tuesday, so long as no abnormalities are detected.

While Wednesday's launch is scheduled for 6:24 p.m., a committee in charge will finalize the timing while taking into account weather conditions and the possibility of a collision with space objects during a meeting set to start at 2 p.m.

Nuri, with a height of 47-point-two meters, a maximum diameter of three-point-five meters and a weight of 17-point-five tons, will carry eight application satellites into space for the first time. Nuri previously carried dummy satellites. 

The payload includes a remote-sensing satellite developed by KAIST's Satellite Technology Research Center, as well as the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute's space weather observation satellite.
Choi You Sun, KBS World Radio News.