KoreaAerospaceResearchInstitute
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South Korea successfully launches native rocket and satellite into space
The spacefaring club has been a small one: to date, just 10 countries have managed to build their own rocket and successfully deploy at least a satellite. Make that 11. South Korea has entered the fold by successfully launching its mostly self-developed, two-stage Naro rocket and putting the vehicle's Science and Technology Satellite-2C payload into orbit. The achievement comes after two prominent failures in 2009 and 2010, and is partly symbolic when there's no plans for a short-term follow-up. However, the success gets the ball rolling for the long run -- the Korea Aerospace Research Institute is working with contractors to build completely in-house rocket stages by 2016, and reach 300 tons of thrust as soon as 2018.
South Korea creates speedy new UAV, gives it VTOL capabilities to boot
In the never-ending quest to give our future robot overlords better tools with which to enslave us, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) has built what it claims to be the fastest UAV on the planet. Checking in at five meters (16.4 feet) long with a seven meter (23 foot) wingspan, the as-yet unnamed aircraft can cruise at 400km/h (249mph). Speed's not its only standout feature either, as the Korean UAV can perform vertical takeoffs and landings (VTOL) as well. Its VTOL capability comes courtesy of dual tilt-rotors that provide helicopter-style takeoffs with fixed wing speeds once airborne. It joins the US Marines famed V-22 Osprey as the second such aircraft on earth and is the first unmanned aircraft packing the technology. The craft is still in the developmental stages, though Korean officials claim it'll be ready for primetime in March 2012, with mass production less than three years away. How much will this fast and flexible flying machine cost? Well, that depends how many are built, but it's a safe bet its considerable capabilities won't come cheap.
