South Korean startup Innospace attempted its first orbital launch on Dec. 22, but the 57‑foot Hanbit‑Nano fell back to Earth about one minute after liftoff from Brazil’s Alcântara Space Center. The rocket carried five smallsats from Brazil and India plus three technology demonstration payloads. Innospace — founded in 2017 and employing roughly 260 people — developed the vehicle in‑house; the company cut its webcast after reporting an anomaly and has not yet identified the cause. An investigation is now underway and Innospace is continuing development of larger Hanbit variants.
Innospace’s First Orbital Launch Fails as Hanbit‑Nano Plummets About One Minute After Liftoff
South Korean startup Innospace launches its first Hanbit-Nano rocket from Alcantara Space Center in Brazil on Dec. 22, 2025. The launch failed about a minute after liftoff. | Credit: Innospace
South Korean launch startup Innospace suffered a setback in its first attempt to reach orbit when its Hanbit‑Nano rocket fell back to Earth roughly one minute after liftoff on Dec. 22.
Launch Overview
The Hanbit‑Nano lifted from Brazil’s Alcântara Space Center at 8:13 p.m. EST (10:13 p.m. local time; 01:13 GMT on Dec. 23). Observers tracking the mission reported that the 57‑foot (17.3‑meter) vehicle crashed back near the launch site about a minute after launch. The cause of the anomaly has not yet been released and an investigation is expected.
Payload And Rocket Design
The debut flight carried five smallsats for customers in Brazil and India plus three technology‑demonstration payloads. Hanbit‑Nano is a two‑stage launcher: the first stage uses liquid oxygen (LOX) and paraffin, while the upper stage can be configured to burn either LOX/paraffin or LOX/liquid methane. The rocket is designed to place up to 198 pounds (90 kilograms) into sun‑synchronous orbit from Brazil.
Innospace team members together with officials from the Brazilian Air Force and the Brazilian Space Agency pose with the company’s first commercial launch vehicle Hanbit-Nano at the Alcântara Space Center in Brazil. | Credit: Innospace
Company Background And Next Steps
Founded in 2017, Innospace employs roughly 260 people and has said it developed its launch systems in‑house; CEO Kim Soo‑jong spoke about the company’s work with Space.com in October during the International Astronautical Congress. The firm is also developing larger vehicles — Hanbit‑Micro and Hanbit‑Mini — as part of a longer‑term roadmap.
What Happened After The Anomaly
Innospace cut its live webcast shortly after reporting an anomaly and had not posted an immediate update to its X account. Monday’s attempt had already been postponed from an original Dec. 17 window after earlier technical issues and weather concerns.
Investigation Underway: Officials and the company will review telemetry and recovery data to determine the root cause. No final determination has been announced.
The incident marks a disappointing but not uncommon outcome for first orbital launch attempts. Innospace and its customers will now await results from a formal failure review before planning the next steps.
