South Korea’s first launch vehicle successfully reached orbit for the first time.
The launch vehicle, Naro-1, was a two-stage rocket with a modified Russian Angara URM as the first stage and a solid-fuel second stage constructed by South Korea’s national space agency. The first two attempts to launch were total failures, with the Naro-1 exploding in mid-air. This third attempt successfully carried a South Korean Science and Technology Satellite 2C (STSAT-2C) into orbit.