Innospace Postpones First Commercial Space Launch Again Due to "Technical Issues"

Hanbit-Nano Launch Delayed Due to Technical Issues
Second Stage Fuel Valve Function Under Inspection
Launch Attempt to Be Rescheduled After Verification

The private space launch vehicle company Innospace's first commercial space launch vehicle, "Hanbit-Nano," was scheduled for launch at 9:30 AM on the 20th. However, Innospace announced that it has suspended the launch attempt due to technical inspection issues with Hanbit-Nano. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

On December 20, the space launch vehicle company Innospace announced that it would halt the launch attempt of its first commercial launch vehicle, "Hanbit-Nano," due to technical inspection issues.

Innospace had planned to launch Hanbit-Nano at 9:30 a.m. on the same day (9:30 p.m. on the 19th local time) from the Alcantara Space Center in Brazil. The launch of Hanbit-Nano had already been postponed twice due to weather and launch site equipment inspections. The vehicle was erected at 4:35 a.m., and fueling with propellant and oxidizer began at 6:17 a.m.

According to Innospace, a technical inspection was required regarding the functionality of the valve used to fill the liquid methane tank for the second stage of the launch vehicle.

Innospace stated, "The new date for a launch attempt within the launch window will be determined in consultation with the Brazilian Air Force." The launch window for Hanbit-Nano is from January 16 to 22, local time.

This is the third postponement of the Hanbit-Nano launch. The launch was originally scheduled for November 22 but was delayed to December 17 after an abnormal signal was detected in the avionics equipment. After transporting Hanbit-Nano to the launch pad on the morning of the 15th and proceeding with pre-launch operations, an abnormality was detected in the first stage oxidizer supply cooling system, causing the launch to be postponed by another two days.

Hanbit-Nano is a two-stage space launch vehicle, measuring 21.8 meters in length and 1.4 meters in diameter, capable of placing a 90-kilogram payload into a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit. It has a lift-off mass of 18.8 tons, with the first stage equipped with a 25-ton-class hybrid rocket engine and the second stage equipped with a 3-ton-class liquid methane rocket engine.