
Dec 23 (Reuters) - South Korean satellite launch company Innospace on Monday launched the first commercial rocket from Brazil's Alcantara Space Center, a milestone for the firm and Brazilian aerospace ambitions that ended with a crash.
The HANBIT-Nano vehicle lifted off at 10:13 p.m. Brazil time (0113 GMT), five days later than originally scheduled.
Just two minutes after the launch, a live feed within the official livestream showed a message noting an "anomaly" was experienced during the flight. The livestream ended immediately afterward.
According to Brazil's air force, the rocket began its vertical trajectory as planned, but an issue prompted a crash into the ground. Officials and firefighters were sent to analyse the wreckage and the collision area, the air force added in a statement.
Innospace has not provided further information about the launch and did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The firm's South Korea-listed shares fell about 24% in midday trading after the crash, the biggest intraday decline since August.
The launch was delayed from Wednesday after an anomaly in a cooling unit component of the first-stage oxidizer feed system during final inspections, and again on Friday for a few hours due to unfavourable weather conditions.
In a previous statement, Innospace said it replaced the component on the launch pad, allowing the Spaceward mission to proceed within its December 16-22 launch window. It was launching eight registered cargoes, including five small satellites, for undisclosed customers.
The Brazilian air force and space agency offered operational support for the launch in coordination with key agencies.
In March 2023, Innospace had launched its test vehicle HANBIT-TLV from the same facility in northeast Brazil to verify the performance of its 150 kN hybrid rocket engine.
(Reporting by Fernando Cardoso; Editing by Jamie Freed)
latest_posts
- 1
Scientist turns people’s mental images into text using ‘mind-captioning’ technology - 2
US bishops officially ban gender-affirming care at Catholic hospitals - 3
NASA’s Artemis II launch leaves Americans in awe: ‘We’re going to the frickin’ moon!’ - 4
IDF kills four terrorists equipped with weapons, surveillance gear near Gaza's Yellow Line - 5
How effective is the flu shot this year? New report shows promising results
UN chief calls on Yemen's Houthi rebels to free all UN detainees
Alleged Huione Group Money Laundering Boss Extradited to China
Figure out How to Explore Land Close to 5G Pinnacles
Financial plan Cordial Home Redesigns That Add Worth
Ford Is Using a Chinese-Built Van to Fight Europe’s EV Price War
Pick Your Favored kind of soup
'We are ready': NASA still on track to launch Artemis 2 astronauts to the moon April 1
Dominating the Art of Composing: Creator Bits of knowledge
Step by step instructions to Prepare with Senior Protection for Inward feeling of harmony.













