The HANBIT-Nano rocket, developed by the South Korean company Innospace, suffered an anomaly during the flight and exploded minutes after takeoff at Centro of Lançamento of
Operation Spaceward marked the first commercial orbital launch from Brazilian territory, with the vehicle taking off at 10:13 pm local time.
Teams from Força Aérea Brasileira (FAB) and Corpo of Bombeiros were called immediately to analyze the wreckage in the collision area.
The mission carried eight payloads, including satellites and scientific experiments from Brazilian and Indian institutions.
Launch vehicle characteristics
The HANBIT-Nano consists of a two-stage rocket.
It measures 21.8 meters high and 1.4 meters in diameter.
The project allows up to 90 kilograms of cargo to be placed in orbit at an altitude of around 500 kilometers.
Hybrid propulsion combines solid and liquid elements for greater efficiency in small missions.
Postponements before the attempt
The operation faced multiple delays before final takeoff.
Initially scheduled for November, the date was changed due to intermittent failures in avionics signals.
Then, an anomaly in the cooling component postponed the launch from December 17th to 19th.
A ventilation valve in the methane tank malfunctioned during fueling.
- Replacing parts ensured technical adjustments.
- Weather conditions also influenced rescheduling.
- The launch window extended until December 22nd.
Payloads on board the mission
The rocket carried devices developed by national universities and companies.
Among them were the FloripaSat-2A and FloripaSat-2B satellites, from Universidade Federal of Santa Catarina.
Sistema of Navegação Inercial received support from Agência Espacial Brasileira.
Another item included the Pion-BR2 educational satellite, in partnership with Universidade Federal of Maranhão.
One load came from an Indian institution, totaling around 18 kilos.
Geographic position of the base
The Centro of Lançamento of Alcântara is located close to the line of the Equador.
This location reduces fuel consumption in orbital trajectories.
The base was built in the 1980s and managed by FAB.
International partnerships seek to explore the commercial potential of the location.
The equatorial proximity allows gains of up to 30% in efficiency compared to other sites.
Procedures after the incident
Innospace technicians analyze telemetry data together with the FAB.
The anomaly occurred approximately 50 seconds after initial ignition.
The vehicle reached stages such as exceeding the speed of sound before failure.
There were no reports of injuries or damage outside the controlled area.
Teams collected debris for detailed investigation.
Recent activities on Alcântara
Innospace performed successful suborbital launch in 2023 with HANBIT-TLV prototype.
That mission tested hybrid engines incorporated into the HANBIT-Nano.
The 2020 notice selected companies for commercial operations at the base.
Contract with Innospace was signed in 2022.
The operation involved around 400 Brazilian and South Korean professionals.
Advantages for the space program
Small launches meet the demand for satellite constellations.
The global market is growing with a focus on agile and economical services.
The basis of Alcântara positions Brasil in international cooperation.
Early flight failures occur in new technology developments.
FAB complied with security and screening protocols in accordance with international standards.
The incident occurred in a restricted area, with no external impacts recorded.
Investigations continue to identify the exact cause of the anomaly.
The mission represented progress in public-private partnerships in the Brazilian space sector.