
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
Dark matter may be made of pieces of giant, exotic objects — and astronomers think they know how to look for them - 2
Air New Zealand cuts flights and hikes fares as fuel prices surge - 3
Historic underwater structure discovered by divers off French coast - 4
The most effective method to Make a Dazzling Site in 5 Basic Advances - 5
Fireball sightings are surging across the US — here's what's really going on
25 Most Beautiful Villages in France You Can Actually Visit
Wizz CEO: We’re going to invest $1 b. in Israeli market
Fireballs and a full moon. Here’s how to see two celestial events this week
Space Condos to Lift Your Metropolitan Living
Spain breaks jobs record with 22 million Social Security contributors
When is MLK Day? Plus, the dates of when other federal holidays land in 2026.
US FDA declines to approve Corcept's drug for rare hormonal disorder
Watch India launch advanced military satellite on rocket's 1st flight since May 2025 failure
The most effective method to Help a Friend or family member Determined to have Cellular breakdown in the lungs













