South Korea gets ready to launch its first domestically made space rocket.

South Korea is set to undertake its test launch debut of a domestically made rocket into space on Thursday, a significant step toward kickstarting the space programme of the country.

The three-stage KSLV-II NURI rocket, painted with the South Korean flag, stands on its launch pad at the Naro Space Center, ready to blast off with a dummy satellite at 4 p.m on Thursday.

The NURI, or ‘world,’ rocket is intended to launch 1.5-ton payloads into orbit 600km to 800km (373 miles-497 miles) above the surface of the Earth. The long-term goals of South Korea include the launch of surveillance, navigation, and communications satellites as well as lunar explorations.

On the Korean Peninsula, where North Korea is sanctioned for its nuclear-armed ballistic missile development, space missions have long been a controversial issue.

South Korea intends to launch a variety of military satellites in the future, but officials deny that the NURI may be used as a weapon.