INNOSPACE has rescheduled the first commercial launch of its HANBIT-Nano launch vehicle after identifying an issue during final pre-launch inspections at the Alcântara Space Center in Brazil.
The South Korean launch services company confirmed on 17 December that the launch will now take place on Saturday, 20 December at 5:45 am AEDT, following the decision to replace a component in the cooling unit of the first-stage oxidizer feed system.
The mission had originally been scheduled to launch on 18 December AEDT. The vehicle was transferred from the integration facility to the launch pad on 16 December AEDT, where it was successfully positioned. During inspections conducted prior to vehicle erection, engineers detected an anomaly within the cooling unit of the first-stage oxidizer feed system.
INNOSPACE said the issue is limited to a specific component and does not indicate any structural defect in the launch vehicle. The required replacement can be carried out while the rocket remains on the launch pad, allowing the launch to proceed with a two-day delay rather than restarting a full launch campaign, which typically requires around three days of preparation.
The HANBIT-Nano SPACEWARD mission launch window remains open from 17 to 23 December AEDT, providing flexibility should additional checks be required.
The upcoming mission will mark INNOSPACE’s first commercial launch and its first attempt to deploy customer payloads into orbit using the HANBIT-Nano small satellite launch vehicle.
Image: Alcantara Space Center, Brazil. Credit – Innospace.
