South Korea's First Commercial Space Vehicle Launches Next Week

Platform peluncuran Innospace untuk kendaraan angkasa HANBIT Nano di Pusat Peluncuran Alcantara di Brasil. (Source: Innospace)

JAKARTA - HANBIT-Nano, Korea's first commercial space vehicle developed by Innospace, will launch on November 22 in Brazil at 15.00 (local time), the company said.

The launch date was set after the Korean Space Administration consulted with the Brazilian Air Force on weather conditions, integration procedures between launch vehicles and satellites, launch security controls and local operating schedules.

Depending on weather conditions, launch dates and times may change, the company said, as reported by The Korea Times on November 12.

"The SPACEWARD mission will be the first step for Innospace to enter a commercial stage with its own technology and prove its competitiveness in the global commercial launch market," said Innospace CEO Kim Soo-jong.

"We will ensure that all remaining procedures are carefully prepared and will not save efforts until the last second to ensure the launch is successful," he said.

As part of the SPACEWARD Innospace mission, HANBIT-Nano will be Korea's first commercial space launch vehicle capable of launching a client satellite and other payloads into low earth orbit at an altitude of 300 kilometers.

After obtaining contracts with five clients from Brazil, India and Korea, HANBIT-Nano will carry eight payloads and a branded warning payload.

HANBIT-Nano is a two-stage space launch vehicle with a height of 21.8 meters and a diameter of 1.4 meters. The vehicle is equipped with a 25-ton thrust-powered hybrid rocket engine for the first phase, and a 3-ton push-back methane liquid engine for the second phase. The launch will take place at the Alcantara Launch Center in Brazil.