South Korea's Fifth Nuri Rocket Launch Carries LG Components and Mobilint AI SoC
South Korea successfully conducted the fifth launch of its indigenous Nuri rocket, deploying satellite payloads featuring five space-adapted components from LG Group alongside Mobilint's REGULUS AI SoC. The onboard hardware will handle space imaging, satellite health diagnostics, and protein crystal growth analysis in orbit. The launch highlights an accelerating trend toward adapting commercial off-the-shelf electronics and low-power edge AI hardware for space applications. It also signals South Korea's expanding commercial space ecosystem as major conglomerates like LG aim for independent satellite launches by 2028. The space photography system consists of an LG Innotek camera module, an LG Energy Solution battery pack, and LG Electronics power modules, attitude control actuators, and communication antennas. Mobilint's REGULUS chip is a compact AI SoC capable of 10 TOPS computing power at under 3 watts, suited for constrained satellite power budgets.
## BACKGROUND
The Nuri rocket (KSLV-II) is South Korea's first fully domestic three-stage launch vehicle, giving the country independent satellite launch capabilities. Historically, space missions required specialized, high-cost hardware designed to withstand extreme radiation and thermal stress, but modern missions frequently modify consumer and industrial electronics to reduce costs. Edge AI hardware enables satellites to analyze sensor data directly in orbit rather than sending massive raw datasets back to ground stations.