SEOUL, Dec 23: The Hanbit-Nano, South Korea’s first commercial orbital rocket, developed by the Innospace company, has crashed immediately after its launch from a spaceport in Brazil, the Yonhap news agency reported on Tuesday, citing the company.
The Hanbit-Nano was launched at approximately 10:13 Seoul time (01:13 GMT) from the Alcantara Space Center in Brazil, according to the report.
The launch began successfully and proceeded normally for about one minute after liftoff, Yonhap said. The rocket ascended, and its instruments transmitted flight footage. However, during the ascent, it became clear that the flight was not going according to plan, the report said. Footage from the rocket stopped appearing on screens, and the team in the flight control center seemed confused, Yonhap reported.
The rocket fell within the ground safety zone 30 seconds after launch with no casualties or additional damage, according to the report.
Innospace told Yonhap that the rocket had carried a payload including five satellites that were supposed to be deployed into low Earth orbit at an altitude of 300 kilometers (186 miles). Had it been successful, Innospace would have become the first private South Korean company to place a client’s satellite into orbit, the report read.
The possibility that the rocket exploded cannot be ruled out, the agency added.
The launch of the Hanbit-Nano had previously been postponed three times due to technical issues.
(UNI)
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