Satellites were successfully launched into orbit by South Korea on Tuesday with its homegrown Nuri rocket. This is a large step for the country’s space program after a failed launch attempt last year where the dummy satellite launched failed to reach low Earth orbit due to the third-stage engine shutting down.

The three-stage rocket weighed over 200 tons and was more than 47 meters long. It was launched from the Naro Space Center in the souther coastal region at 4p.m, local time carrying five satellites. These satellites will carry out Earth observation missions, including monitoring the atmosphere, for up to two years. Prior to their Tuesday launch, Russia, the US, the EU, China, Japan, and India were the only entities who had developed a space launch vehicle capable of carrying a satellite that weighed more than 1 ton.

Read more: South Korea launches homegrown Nuri rocket carrying satellites into orbit