spacetoday.net: South Korean launch postponed

South Korean launch postponed

Posted: Sat, Oct 27, 2012, 8:14 PM ET (0014 GMT)
KSLV on pad for 2nd launch (KARI)

The planned launch of a South Korean rocket on Friday was postponed for at least several days, and perhaps longer, because of a technical glitch. The KSLV-1 rocket was to lift off from the Naro Space Center in southernmost South Korea at 2:30 am EDT (0630 GMT, 3:30 pm local time) Friday. The launch, though, was scrubbed several hours before liftoff because of a leak in the connection between the rocket's first stage and the fueling system on the launch pad. South Korean officials said the problem would delay the launch at least three days, although later reports indicated the launch would slip into November. The launch will be the third for the rocket, which uses a Russian-built first stage. Two previous launches, in 2009 and 2010, both failed.