Naro-I, a South Korean rocket set to place a science satellite into orbit, exploded minutes after launch, frustrating South Korean leaders, who want to see the country rejoin the space race.
Science and Technology Minister Ahn Byong-Man told AFP that the Naro-I rocket was thought to have blown up 137 seconds after launch, at the same time ground control lost contact with it.
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The scientific satellite was expected to separate from the rocket at an altitude of 302km and to deploy its solar panels about nine minutes after launch.
South Korea has invested more than $400m on the 140t Naro-1, of which, the liquid-fuelled first stage was made in Russia and the second stage was built domestically.
Russian and South Korean engineers are now investigating the incident to determine the cause.
The country has to date launched ten satellites into space using launch vehicles from other countries.
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By GlobalData
