Rubber seal delayed launch of Korean rocket

ERJ staff report (DS)

Seoul, Korea - A failure in a rubber seal delayed the launch of Korea's Naro space rocket on 26 October. New parts are being shipped from Russia and the launch is likely to go ahead soon after the parts have been fitted. This was the third failed attempt by Korea to get a rocket into space.

The seal was designed to contain helium gas. The gas was seen to be leaking as it was being charged prior to the launch last month. 

Helium is used to pressurise liquid fuel in the first-stage rocket to provide thrust during the liftoff. There was no comment on the type of material used to make the seal, nor where the seal was made, beyond the fact that the rocket is a joint project between Korea and Russia.

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Press release from from Korean Aerospace research unit (Korean language)

Above story auto-translated (from Korean language)