South Korea launches third homegrown space rocket

STORY: The third flight of the Nuri rocket marks a major step in South Korea's nascent space program as the country seeks to become a key player in an intensifying race with its Asian neighbors, with three more test launches expected until 2027.

The ministry called off a planned launch on Wednesday (May 24) citing technical problems involving a system that controls a helium tank, which they said were fixed after overnight work.

South Korea successfully launched the Nuri in its second test last June, placing working and dummy satellites into orbit, while the third test was designed to load and launch a commercial-grade satellite for the first time.