INNOSPACE safely terminated the inaugural commercial mission of its two-stage HANBIT-Nano launch vehicle following an in-flight anomaly during ascent from Brazil’s Alcântara Space Center, with the company confirming an investigation is underway.
The SPACEWARD mission lifted off at 12:13 p.m. AEDT on December 23, corresponding to a late-evening launch on December 22 local time in Brazil. The flight marked the first commercial launch attempt of the HANBIT-Nano vehicle. INNOSPACE said liftoff and early ascent proceeded as planned, with the first-stage main engine igniting successfully and operating in a stable manner during the initial phase of flight.
The first stage was powered by a 25-ton-class hybrid rocket engine, achieving what the company described as the world’s first flight demonstration of a medium-to-large thrust hybrid engine on a launch vehicle.
Approximately 30 seconds after liftoff, shortly after the vehicle passed through cloud layers, an anomaly was detected. Communication between the launch vehicle and ground systems was subsequently lost, and the rocket sustained structural damage of an undetermined cause. The vehicle separated into multiple sections, including the first and second stages, lost propulsion and attitude control, and entered free fall.
As the calculated Instant Impact Point remained within the designated safety perimeter, INNOSPACE activated the Flight Termination System in accordance with pre-approved safety procedures coordinated with the Brazilian Air Force. The vehicle impacted the ground within the safety zone, with no injuries or damage to surrounding facilities reported.
INNOSPACE said the mission termination was executed in full compliance with international safety standards, demonstrating the maturity of the vehicle’s safety design and the operational coordination between the launch operator and Brazilian authorities.
An initial analysis has begun using telemetry, tracking data and ground observations collected during the flight, in cooperation with the Brazilian Air Force. The official investigation into the cause of the failure will be led by Brazil’s Aeronautical Accident Investigation and Prevention Center (CENIPA). Debris recovered from within the safety zone will be used for joint root-cause analysis and technical improvements.
The company said customer payloads onboard the mission were covered under pre-arranged insurance policies and that the early termination is not expected to have a material impact on its commercial launch contracts or long-term business plans.
INNOSPACE confirmed it secured comprehensive liftoff and early flight data from the mission, which will be used to enhance vehicle reliability ahead of future launches. A relaunch attempt of HANBIT-Nano is planned for next year within already secured launch slots at the Alcântara Space Center, with the schedule to be finalised following completion of the investigation and implementation of corrective measures.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer Soojong Kim said the space launch industry remains one of the most complex engineering fields, involving thousands of variables across design, manufacturing, testing and operations. He noted that only a limited number of companies worldwide reach the stage of executing a commercial launch.
Kim apologised to customers who entrusted INNOSPACE with their payloads on its first commercial mission, adding that the company will use the data gained from the flight to improve technical completeness and maximise the probability of success in future launches.
