SKorea loses contact with rocket after liftoff

Source

SEOUL, South Korea – South Korea launched a rocket carrying a satellite meant to study climate change Thursday, but the mission was immediately thrown into doubt when authorities lost communications with the craft.

The rocket was launched after a one-day delay due to malfunctioning firefighting equipment near the launchpad at the coastal Naro space center in Goheung, 290 miles (465 kilometers) south of Seoul.

The rocket lifted off successfully Thursday, loaded with an observation satellite for studying global warming and climate change, but aerospace officials lost contact with the rocket 137 seconds later, the state-run Korea Aerospace Research Institute said.

"We will seek ways to find the satellite," Lee Joo-jin, head of the space agency told reporters, without elaborating.

This came out on yahoo news about 10 minutes ago (at the time I post this).

I dont think this is anything major. Im guessing there was a malfunction, or possibly the thing going on with the sun -- ATS Thread

They lost contact 137 seconds after take-off, but Im not sure how far it got into space. Just have to wait for more updates later on today.

I read this earlier today also! I wonder what they will find out about the incident.

Now wouldn't it be interesting if this rocket some how managed to come crashing down on NK territory ?

[edit on 10-6-2010 by Max_TO]

The Dutch newspaper "de telegraaf" reported it with a little more sensationalism and said it had disappeared.
They didn't know if it had disconnected from the rocket, so chances are good that it might plunge down somewhere.














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reply to post by buni11687


Damn, looks like another Spiral to be blamed on a failed rocket...

What I find really hard to believe is the statement that this sattelite was meant to do research on global warming... dont we have enough of those sattelites up there by now? As if a country on the brink of war really has interest in sending ANOTHER weather-sattelite up in space...

there seems to be the impression that they don't know where it is now but surely they must have some radar to track it? Surely you cannot simply lose a rocket?

I just heard on the news the rocket blew up. It was on for just a couple seconds so I didnt get much out of it. Mechanical errors I think.