The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology says launch preparations for the nation’s first ever space rocket are running smoothly with the combustion test for the main booster successfully completed.

The test was conducted Thursday by Russia's Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center.

The completion of the test is expected to allow the launch of Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1 (KSLV-1) in mid-August, unless there are any unforeseen developments in weather conditions or in the final preparation process.

The ministry said South Korean and Russian scientists will discuss a potential launch date after the test results come out in two or three days.