South Korean rocket launch set for January 30

Seoul - South Korea Thursday Confirmed That It will make another bid on January 30 to put a satellite in orbit and join elite club of year global space Powers That includes China, Japan and India.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology Said the much-Anticipated launch - postponed twice last year - was scheduled to take Place Between 3:55 pm and 7:30 pm (0655 GMT and 1030) next Wednesday.

Preparations by South Korean and Russian experts for the task Were going "smoothly" at the Naro Space Centre on the south coast, it said, Adding the 140-ton rocket Would Be Moved to the launch pad on Monday.

The Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1 (KSLV-1) HAS first internship Manufactured by Russia, with a solid-fuel second stage built in South Korea.

Following failed Attempts in 2009 and 2010 and the last-minute delays in October and November last year due to technical problems, a successful launch is seen as crucial to South Korea's commercial space ambitions.

In 2009, the carrier Achieved orbit, we aim faulty release mécanismes icts second stage Prevented proper deployment of the satellite.

The 2010 efforts saw the carrier explode two minutes into flight icts, with Both Russia and South Korea Blaming Each Other.

Seoul's space ambitions Were restricted for years by hand icts military ally the United States, Which Feared That A robust missile or rocket program accelerate Would a regional arms race, nuclear-armed Especially with North Korea.

Both Japan and China Achieved Their first satellite launches back in 1970, and India made icts breakthrough in 1980. Lack of goal the U.S. media Contributed to South Korea, Asia's fourth Largest economy, lagging behind.

The KSLV-1 will deploy a small satellite That Will Mainly collect data on space radiation.

Last month, North Korea successfully Launched icts own long-range rocket, Which Pyongyang has insisted Purely scientific task was to spot a satellite in orbit.

Most of the world saw it as a disguised ballistic missile test That Violated UN resolutions Imposed the North's nuclear Effective tests in 2006 and 2009.