S. Korea to launch space rocket at 5:01 p.m. local time

Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1 (KSLV-1), or Naro-1, is set up on its launch pad at Naro Space Centre in Goheung, about 485 km (301 miles) south of Seoul, June 8, 2010. South Korea plans to relaunch its first space rocket Naro on June 9, the second attempt after it failed to enter its target orbit in August last year, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

South Korea will make another attempt on Thursday to launch its space rocket at 5:01 p.m. local time, local media reported, citing the science and technology ministry.

The news comes a day after a technical problem delayed the planned blast-off of the locally assembled space rocket called Naro-1, or the Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1 (KSLV-1).

"Experts concluded that the rocket is ready for blastoff and remedial actions carried on the malfunction met operational requirements," vice science minister Kim Jung-hyun was quoted as saying by Yonhap News Agency.

A technical glitch botched up the first launch in 2009. The launch was foiled by a faulty fairing assembly, which prevented the rocket from putting the satellite into the orbit.

Source:Xinhua