
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
Former United Launch Alliance CEO Tory Bruno joins competitor Blue Origin for national security projects - 2
Vote in favor of the juice that you love for its medical advantages! - 3
Journalists killed by Israeli strike in southern Lebanon - 4
American Airlines Flight Attendant Disappears Amid Layover in Colombia, Authorities Investigating - 5
The race is on to turn your body into a GLP-1 factory
The Ursid meteor shower will be the last of the year, peaking just before Christmas: What to know and how to watch
Germany raises prospect of military forces to secure Ukraine peace
Exploring Programming Greatness: A Survey of \Easy to use Connection points\
Scientists find new clues to why female fertility declines with age
Police break up illegal chicken slaughter in Germany
US healthcare spending soars to over $5 trillion in 2024
Doritos and Cheetos dial back the bright orange in new versions without artificial ingredients
Vote In favor of Your Favored Kind Of Organic product
More than 800 flights canceled as FAA cuts traffic at 40 major airports. Here's what to know.











