S.Korea launches solid-fuel rocket amid space race against North Korea

South Korea successfully conducted a third test flight of a solid-fuel space rocket on Monday, the defense ministry said, as part of efforts to build its independent space-based surveillance system against North Korea.

The space launch vehicle was launched from a barge floating in waters about 4 kilometers south of Jeju Island and placed a small Earth observation satellite into orbit at an altitude of about 650 km, the ministry said.