ROK Naro-1 rocket (SLV)
 

Hello All,

The ROK (Republic of [South] Korea) Naro-1 SLV (Satellite Launch Vehicle, see: http://www.space-travel.com/reports...ailure_999.html , www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1006/10kslv/ , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naro-1 , and http://www.space.com/common/forums/...pic.php?t=24343 [this page has additional links and excellent photos and drawings]) would make an interesting scale or sport scale subject. It has only two fins, mounted on opposite sides of the lower first stage, so a flying model would need two clear plastic fins to provide a four-fin "cruciform" fin set.

The first Naro-1 vehicle failed to reach orbit last year when one of the two payload fairing halves failed to jettison. The second launch a few days ago failed due to some kind of problem (still under investigation) with the first stage. A third Naro-1 vehicle may be launched due to the nature of the Koreans' contract with the Russian contractor which builds the vehicle's first stage. The Naro-1 is reminiscent of vehicles such as the Thor-Altair and Thor-Burner II, which had a large liquid propellant first stage and a small, spin-stabilized solid propellant second stage. While such vehicles' satellite payloads are small, they are simple to build and fly.

Even big boys have bad hair days... :o

First stage go boom...

Engineers go "odamtobadjo"... :D

Here's an additional link to the development of the first stage. The Naro-1 first stage is a derivative of the Khrunichev Angara design.

Angara

Indeed--the Naro-1 was supposed to showcase the Angara's URM (Universal Rocket Module) technology, which uses a common core module concept like the Delta IV and the Falcon 9 Heavy; unfortunately, the showcase has proved more reliable than its contents thus far. :-( (Incidentally, the Russians once looked into launching Angara vehicles from the Poker Flat Research Range [see: www.pfrr.alaska.edu ] 30 miles north of Fairbanks. One of their reasons for not following up on it was that there isn't a security fence around the facility, as it is too large to fence, and a fence would keep the moose, bears, lynx, and foxes out!)

Wow--Thank You for bringing the new Scale & Sport Scale forum online, Scott!