South Korea has canceled its plan to launch a communications satellite CK-5 into space today after deeming the launch rocket’s performance “unstable” following the initial engine test.
The decision to call off the launch came after the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) found an unspecified technical problem while testing the rocket’s engines on the launchpad located in Goheung, South Jeolla Province.
KARI said that it is reviewing the cause of the technical problem and that it will announce the results when further investigation is complete.
The satellite, which was set to be launched in collaboration with the private space firm NExT, is intended for tracking and recovery of lost shipping cargo as well as for maritime research and fisheries support. It is the third in a series of communication satellites.
The launch would have marked the first South Korean satellite to be launched into space since the KSLV-II, an experimental rocket, took off in February last year.