Despite two previous failures, Korea is gearing up to launch the country’s first rocket from its own territory in October, a top government official confirmed.

Minister of Education, Science and Technology Lee Ju-ho said on Friday that the first stage of the KSLV-1 launch vehicle has been completed and will be delivered from Russia to Korea before the end of August.

Lee made the comment after visiting Russia’s Khrunichev Space Center in Moscow, which designed and assembled the lower part of the space vehicle.

“The first stage of the rocket will be delivered in July or August in time for the scheduled launch in October,” the Minister said.

Lee arrived in Moscow on Wednesday for a three-day visit to bolster bilateral relations in space development programs.

The KSLV-1, also called the Naro-1, was built in cooperation with Russia after the two countries signed a space cooperation deal in 2004.

The first launch of the rocket took place in August 2009, but it failed to deliver the 100kg research satellite into orbit. A second attempt in June 2010 also failed.

Despite the two previous failures, Russia’s Khrunichev center is still contracted to provide the lower assembly of the KSLV-1 that contains the rocket engine and liquid-fuel, while the Korea Aerospace Research Institute is responsible for the upper part of the rocket, according to the ministry.

The Seoul government began developing its own space program in 1996, and has already launched 13 satellites, including the Arirang-3 multipurpose satellite launched last month, using foreign carrier rockets.

But the government is now planning to build its own carrier rocket, the KSLV-2, and launch it without foreign assistance. Lee also noted Friday that efforts are under way to place a low orbit satellite into space by 2021 using the KSLV-2 rocket.

By Oh Kyu-wook (596story@heraldcorp.com)