-Final Readiness Check involving 12 Organizations, including Government, Military, Police, and Local Authorities
The Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA, Administrator Yoon Youngbin) announced that on October 27, it will conduct a comprehensive safety control drill at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, Jeollanam-do, with the participation of 12 organizations, including government agencies, the military, the police, and local authorities, in preparation for the fourth launch of the Korea Space Launch Vehicle-II (Nuri) scheduled for November 27.
This full-scale rehearsal is intended to ensure safe and successful launch operations. It includes personnel and vehicle access control around the launch site, maritime and airspace control along the launch trajectory, evacuation measures for nearby residents, and joint response procedures in the event of security threats, emergencies, or disasters.
In this regard, KASA established the Launch Safety Control Council for the Korean Launch Vehicle on July 24, with participation from relevant government ministries, the military, police, and local authorities. In addition, on September 25, a command-level tabletop exercise was held at the Naro Space Center for coordination officers and control chiefs from each organization, ensuring systematic preparation in advance of the launch.
The upcoming comprehensive launch safety control rehearsal will incorporate improvements identified during the previous tabletop exercise and will simulate conditions identical to those on the day of the launch. This will ensure that safety control measures are thoroughly reviewed across land, sea, and air operations.
In particular, this exercise will focus on preparing response capabilities for scenarios such as the unauthorized appearance of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), hydrazine leaks from the primary payload satellite, explosion and fire caused by abnormal launch conditions, and potential terrorist attacks. The aim is to enhance the response capabilities of relevant agencies for each specific situation.
KASA Administrator Yoon stated, "The fourth launch of Nuri is South Korea’s first nighttime space launch. Through this thorough and effective safety control rehearsal, we will be fully prepared for potential emergency situations that may arise during the launch. We will carefully carry out the final safety check to ensure the safe launch of Nuri and prioritize public safety."