ANKARA

South Korea on Tuesday moved its domestically produced Nuri space rocket to its launchpad ahead of its fourth mission, according to local media.

The Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA) said the 200-ton rocket began its slow transfer from the assembly building at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, about 330 kilometers (205 miles) south of Seoul, at around 9 am local time (0000GMT).

The agency said the shift started roughly 1.5 hours later than planned due to unfavorable weather conditions, Yonhap News reported.

“If we are unable to complete all of the scheduled procedures today, we plan to carry out additional work early on the following day to proceed with the launch operation as planned,” KASA said in a released statement.

The rocket is expected to lift off early Thursday.

The flight will be the first mission led by the private company Hanwha Aerospace and Nuri’s first return to space in more than two and a half years after its third launch in May 2023.