Koreans Fault Russia Rocket

June 11, 2010

The unsuccessful launch of a South Korean rocket on Thursday may have been caused by a malfunction of its first-stage booster, which was designed and produced in Russia, Interfax reported, citing Korean media.

The KSLV-1 rocket, which carried a scientific satellite, was apparently destroyed by a series of explosions 137 seconds after launching from a South Korean site.

The Moscow-based Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center, which built the booster, did not comment on the allegations, but a source in the Russian space industry told Interfax that premature launch of the second-stage engine, developed by Korea, might be to blame.

The first KSLV-1 rocket was launched in August and exploded because of problems with the Korean module.

(MT)

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