SEOUL, Aug. 2 (Yonhap) -- The fifth launch of South Korea's homegrown Nuri rocket has been postponed until October due to problems with thrusters on nanosatellites to be carried aboard the vehicle, officials said Sunday.

According to the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) Satellite Technology Research Center, the launch was delayed from its original schedule to allow time for replacing and testing underperforming thrusters on some nanosatellite payloads.

Thrusters provide the propulsion needed for satellites to adjust or maintain their orbits and are key components for nanosatellites that fly in formation while maintaining fixed intervals.

"There were some areas where the thrusters' performance fell short of expectations," said Kim Jin-hee, director general of the Satellite Directorate at KASA. "We have completed the necessary improvements to enhance stability."

Kim said operators replaced the thrusters with new ones but need additional time to conduct further testing.

Starting with the fifth launch, private companies will take the lead in the launch process, with a focus on deploying payloads into orbit.

"Recently, as we have adopted mass production methods used by private companies, some areas require additional verification," Kim said. "Although we replaced the components with products from the same manufacturer, further examinations was required."

The final launch date will be determined at a launch management committee meeting scheduled for late August, he added.

Due to the Chuseok holiday period in late September, the Nuri launch is expected to take place in October.

The South Korean government had initially planned to conduct the fifth Nuri launch in June, but the schedule has been delayed several times.

South Korea successfully conducted the fourth launch of its 200-ton Nuri rocket in November last year, placing the main satellite and 12 cube satellites into orbit at an altitude of 600 kilometers.

brk@yna.co.kr

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