South Korea launched its largest satellite yet on its nationally developed space rocket early Thursday, the fourth of six planned launches through 2027. The three-stage Nuri rocket lifted off from the country’s spaceport on an island off the southwestern coastal county of Goheung. Aerospace officials said the rocket placed a 516-kg science satellite and 12 microsatellites into a target orbit about 600 km above Earth. The Korea Aerospace Administration said the main satellite made successful contact with a South Korean ground station in Antarctica about 40 minutes after liftoff at 1:55 am, confirming that it was functioning normally, including the deployment of its solar panels. The 12 microsatellites will contact ground stations sequentially according to each device’s communication schedule.