S. Korea to launch military satellites aboard homegrown Nuri rocket in 2031

SEOUL, October 20 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean aerospace agency has announced ambitious plans to launch military reconnaissance satellites using the country's own Nuri rocket by 2031, according to a recent Cabinet meeting. Oh Tae-seok, the administrator of the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), revealed this strategy following the successful fifth launch of Nuri earlier this month.

The plan includes launching at least one Nuri rocket annually from 2031 to 2032, with the 11th launch in 2031 set to carry four electro-optical (EO) reconnaissance microsatellites.

Historically, South Korea has depended on foreign launch vehicles for deploying its military satellites. The 12th Nuri launch in 2032 will transport three companion satellites designed to work in tandem with the Arirang 8 multipurpose satellite. This new satellite will be equipped with a synthetic aperture radar (SAR), enabling it to capture images regardless of weather conditions or daylight.

In addition to these satellite launches, KASA has outlined other space-related initiatives. The agency plans to deploy five more Earth observation microsatellites during the second half of 2027 and the fifth next-generation medium-sized satellite in 2028.