Seoul: The Hanbit-Nano, South Korea’s first commercial orbital rocket, crashed shortly afterward due to an abnormality in the vehicle, its operator Innospace said.
The company noted that the rocket blasted off from the Alcantara Space Center at 10:13 p.m. Monday (local time) in Brazil, Yonhap news agency reported.
However, the vehicle fell to the ground 30 seconds after liftoff, said Innospace.
The rocket crashed within a ground safety zone, with no casualties or additional damage reported, it added.
Flames were observed immediately after liftoff during a YouTube livestream of the launch, which was suspended shortly afterward.
Earlier in the day, the rocket launch was being pushed back due to unfavourable weather conditions at the launch site in Brazil.
The rocket was carrying a payload that included five satellites set to be deployed into a 300-kilometer low orbit.
If successful, Innospace would have become the first private South Korean company to place a customer satellite into orbit.
The two-stage vehicle employed a 25-tonne thrust hybrid engine that powered the first stage, while the second stage was backed by a liquid methane and oxygen engine.
The launch had been postponed three times since the company’s original date of November 22.
It was postponed twice last week due to a defect in avionics electronics and then due to an issue with a fuel tank.
Earlier in September, the South Korean space launch startup signed a $5.8 million contract with Media Broadcasting Satellite (MBS), a German satellite communications company, to provide launch services, Yonhap had reported.
Under the agreement, Innospace will carry out two launch missions using the company’s Hanbit launch vehicle to deploy MBS satellites into low Earth orbit between 2026 and 2029.
In a separate deal, Innospace also named MBS as its exclusive launch service and marketing agent in Germany, a move aimed at bolstering the South Korean firm’s presence in the European space market.
MBS will hold exclusive rights to distribute and market launch services based on Innospace’s Hanbit vehicle to satellite customers in Germany.
