South Korea's First Commercial Space Ride Ready To Launch, Possibly In November

Innospace, Korea's space startup, is expected to launch its first ride, HANBIT-Nano, likely in November, marking the country's first attempt to deliver commercial spacecraft to low Earth orbit (LEO).

Innospace said on Monday it recently received approval for a commercial launch for the SPACEWARD mission from the Korean Space Agency. With this approval, the company has completed all necessary procedures and started final preparations for launches at the Alcantara Space Center, Brazil.

"This approval shows we have met all national requirements, including the safety of launch rides, mission capabilities, as well as environmental and security standards," said Innospace CEO Kim Jong-soo, as reported by The Korea Times on October 20.

"This also shows we have officially obtained legal and technical credibility as the first Korean private company authorized for commercial launches," he added.

For the launch, Innospace has set the launch time range from October 28 to November 28. The launch time range refers to the period in which the actual launch could take place.

Initially, the launch time range was set for October 28 to November 7, but was extended to November 28 after coordinating launch inspection procedures, mission stability, and a schedule for joint operations with the Brazilian Air Force.

Innospace said the upcoming launch would also mark the launch of Brazil's first commercial vehicle from the space center, adding Brazilian authorities had provided active support to ensure optimal conditions and stable launches.

Although the launch site is operated by the Brazilian Air Force, Innospace will use an independent launch platform for the mission.

The exact launch date and time will be determined after a thorough review of weather conditions, technical inspections, and launch operations. Given the necessary preparations and weather factors, industry officials expect the launch to likely take place next month.

The SPACEWARD mission is a full commercial launch that will deploy client-owned satellites and other payloads to LEO at an altitude of 300 kilometers. After obtaining contracts with five clients from Brazil, India, and Korea, HANBIT-Nano will carry eight payloads and one branded warning payload.

The payload includes five small satellites designed for climate and environmental data collection, development and technology education, as well as three experimental payloads aimed at testing new technologies and collecting data in space conditions. The branding model assigned by the Korean beverage company Brewguru is prepared to commemorate the entry of Korea into the commercial aerospace era.

"The SPACEWARD mission is not a test flight, but a full mission to transport client cargo into space. This will be a historic milestone that marks our entry into the commercial launch market," Jong-soo explained.

It is known, as a signator of the Space Agreement, the Ginseng Country is responsible for any launch carried out by its citizens or companies, even when the launch is carried out outside of its territory.

In addition, domestic law stipulates that companies must obtain government approval if they intend to launch domestically made rides abroad.

Through this, the country manages space activities safely and overcomes potential problems that may arise during overseas launches.