Marking a leap for its space program, South Korea launched a domestically made rocket into space on Thursday, but it failed short of delivering a dummy payload into orbit. After decades of U.S. restrictions on missile development, South Korea built the three-stage Nuri space launch vehicle entirely using indigenous technology. The Nuri, developed by Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), was designed to deliver a payload of 1.5 tons (3,300 pounds) into an orbit of 372 to 497 miles (600 to 800 kilometers) above Earth. The 154 foot (47-meter) Nuri is powered by five 75-ton class rocket engines placed in the rocket’s first and second stages. It lifted off from Naro Space Center, South Korea’s only spaceport. “Although (the launch) failed to achieve its objectives perfectly, it was an excellent accomplishment for a first launch,” South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who observed the launch on-site, said in a televised speech. According …
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