
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
Four Dead in Last Month From Animal Attacks in Nepal - 2
Melodic Combination d: A Survey of \Unrecorded Music Energy\ Show - 3
Figure out How to Streamline Eco-friendliness in Your Volvo XC40 - 4
Lahav 433 head Asst.-Ch. Meni Benjamin named as police officer investigated for breach of trust - 5
Israel and Iran continue tit-for-tat attacks
Voting begins in Uganda’s presidential election during internet shutdown and polling station delays
Countdown begins for long-awaited Artemis II moon mission
Instructions to Guarantee Kids Foster Solid Dental Propensities
Watch interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS speed away from the sun in free telescope livestream on Nov. 16
Figure out how to Arrange a Fair Settlement with the Assistance of a Fender bender Legal counselor
Students were skipping my astrophysics class to play video games – so I turned the class itself into a video game
At least 490 protesters killed in Iran, activists say
Why More Couples Are Choosing Africa For Their Honeymoon
Bruno Mars tour 2026: How to get tickets for 'The Romantic Tour,' presale times, prices and more













