South Korea's all 12 cube satellites establish ground communication

KARACHI, Pakistan

All 12 cube satellites deployed by South Korea's domestically produced rocket Nuri last month have established communication with ground stations, following the "successful" fourth launch of the space rocket, local media reported on Sunday.

The 200-ton Nuri blasted off from Naro Space Center in the country's southern coastal village of Goheung, south of Seoul, on Nov. 27, placing the main and 12 cube satellites into orbit at an altitude of 600 kilometers (373 miles), according to the Yonhap news agency.

Domestic space agencies, including the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), said they have communicated with three cube satellites.

Last week, the Korea AeroSpace Administration and KARI confirmed communication with the other nine cube satellites.

This is the first time that all satellites deployed by Nuri in a single launch have established communication with the ground.

In comparison with large-scale satellites, cube satellites often face failures due to their limited capacity.

*Writing by Aamir Latif