S.Korea's second space rocket launch successfully puts satellites in orbit

FILE PHOTO: People watch a TV broadcasting a news report on the KSLV-II NURI rocket launching from its launch pad of the Naro Space Center, at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea, October 21, 2021. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File Photo

SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korea's second test launch of its domestically produced Nuri rocket successfully placed several satellites in orbit on Tuesday, officials said, taking a major step in efforts to jumpstart its space programme after a first test failed last year.

The rocket lifted off from Naro Space Center on the southern coast of South Korea at 4 p.m. (0700 GMT). A 162.5-kg (358 lb)satellite designed to verify the rocket's performance successfully made contact with a base station in Antarctica after entering orbit, officials said.