INNOSPACE has successfully completed the first stage qualification test for its first commercial launch vehicle ‘HANBIT-Nano’ on September 18 at its integrated test facility in Goheung, South Korea.
The successful completion of the first stage qualification test marks the final milestone in HANBIT-Nano’s ground testing campaign prior to launch. This achievement signals that preparations for the commercial mission are now moving into their final stage.
HANBIT-Nano is a two-stage space launch vehicle equipped with a 25-ton-thrust hybrid rocket engine in the first stage and a 3-ton-thrust liquid methane rocket engine in the second stage. Through the successful test, INNOSPACE carried out the final verification of the 25-ton hybrid rocket engine’s performance and reliability, the stability of the oxidizer supply system, the structural integrity of the stage, and the vehicle’s integrated control system. The second stage qualification test, using the liquid methane rocket engine, was successfully completed in July 2025.
INNOSPACE had previously made history in March 2023 as the first South Korean private space launch vehicle company to successfully launch a test launch vehicle, HANBIT-TLV, powered by a 15-ton thrust hybrid rocket engine. Building upon that achievement, the company scaled up the main engine to a 25-ton thrust class for HANBIT-Nano, expanding payload capacity and strengthening market competitiveness. This engine delivers one of the highest thrust levels in its class worldwide. In addition, the vehicle incorporates an integrated dome-type composite combustion chamber that achieves both weight reduction and high-pressure performance compared to traditional metallic designs, significantly enhancing the reliability and commercial viability of the launch system.
“INNOSPACE has completed all technical verifications of its first commercial launch vehicle, HANBIT-Nano, and is now facing the moment of challenge for full-scale market entry,” said Soojong Kim, founder and CEO of INNOSPACE. “We will make every effort to ensure that the scheduled launch at the Alcântara Space Center in Brazil is successfully carried out.”
INNOSPACE is planning the first commercial launch of HANBIT-Nano at the Alcântara Space Center in Brazil in the second half of this year. The launch schedule will be announced immediately after the final launch approval by the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA). The launch authorization from the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB) has already been obtained.
[Photo] INNOSPACE ‘HANBIT-Nano’ first stage qualification test. Credit: INNOSPACE
