S. Korea successfully launches space rocket

A staff member watches the live broadcast of Naro launching in News Center of Winter Special Olympics in Pyongchang, South Korea, on Jan. 30, 2013. South Korea launched its Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1 (KSVL-1), also known as Naro, at 4 p.m. local time from the Naro Space Center, located 480 kilometers south of Seoul, on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Yao Qilin)

South Korea on Wednesday successfully launched a space rocket in its third attempt to put a satellite into space.

The Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1 (KSVL-1), also known as Naro, blasted off at 4 p.m. local time from the Naro SpaceCenter, located 480 kilometers south of Seoul.The rocket, with a Russian-built first stage and a South Korean- developed second stage, has successfully put a satellite into orbit.

South Korea has two failed attempts of launching satellitesinto the space in 2010 and 2009.