Take that, North Korea. Not to be discouraged by two earlier failed attempts and postponements, South Korea successfully launched a rocket into outer space on Wednesday. The 140-ton rocket, known as Naro, was built in partnership with Russia, and will be used primarily to collect climate data. South Korea had twice before attempted to launch rockets, in 2009 and 2010, and postponed this launch another two times. But the timing of the success couldn’t have been more crucial: it comes just weeks after North Korea used its own rocket to place a satellite into orbit and faced international criticism.
