South Korea’s KSLV-1 Roll-Out Delayed by Technical Glitch

[Satellite TODAY 06-08-10] The roll-out of South Korea’s Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1 (KSLV-1) has been delayed due to an unexpected technical glitch, according to a statement by South Korean officials, released June 7.
    The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) warned that the problem might be serious enough to delay the launch, scheduled for June 9. South Korea has formed a control committee consisting of South Korean and Russian engineers to determine whether to continue the liftoff as scheduled.
    “We will inspect the rocket throughout the night and present the results to the control committee early Tuesday. The cable-mast will be reattached after we confirm the reason for the problems and then decide whether to continue with the launch process as scheduled,” KARI said in a statement.
    The rocket’s mission is to carry a satellite aimed at observing the atmosphere and ocean. In August, South Korea’s previous KSLV-1 launch failed as the rocket reached its desired height but was unable to deliver its payload satellite into orbit. South Korea has spent about $418 million since 2002 to develop the KSLV-1.