video transcript

(ROUGH CUT ONLY - NO REPORTER NARRATION) South Korea launched its first space rocket carrying a science satellite on Wednesday (January 30) amid heightened regional tensions, caused in part, by North Korea's successful launch of its own rocket last month. It was South Korea's third attempt to launch a civilian rocket to send a satellite in orbit in the past four years and came after two previous launches were aborted at the eleventh hour last year due to technical glitches. The launch vehicle, named Naro, lifted off from South Korea's space centre on the south coast and successfully went through stage separation before entering orbit, officials at the mission control said. Previous launches failed within minutes. South Korea's rocket programme has angered neighbour North Korea, which says it is unjust for it to be singled out for U.N. sanctions for launching long-range rockets as part of its space programme to put a satellite into orbit. North Korea's test in December showed it had the capacity to deliver a rocket that could travel 10,000 km (6,200 miles), potentially putting San Francisco in range, according to an intelligence assessment by South Korea.