The investigation into the failure of the October test launch of South Korea’s Nuri rocket zeroed in on an anchoring device on its third stage as the culprit. It may lead to delays of the next scheduled launch.
The rocket, also known as KSLV-II, was the first space launch vehicle fully developed and produced by South Korean engineers. It made its maiden launch on October 21, attempting to place a dummy satellite on a heliosynchronous orbit. But the engine on its third stage shut down prematurely, derailing the mission.
A government committee set up to investigate the failure has identified the cause, the Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday. A device anchoring a helium container inside the oxidizer tank in the third stage engine had loosened, due to increased buoyancy.
Once unfastened, the helium container bounced around, damaging the oxidizer tank and piping, and causing the leakage of both fluids. It left the engine without enough propellant to complete its program, forcing it to shut down 46 seconds early. The third stage did deploy its payload, but the speed it managed to achieve was not enough to make its orbit stable.