Brasilia: The Hanbit-Nano, South Korea's first commercial orbital rocket, encountered a critical failure shortly after its liftoff from a Brazilian launch site, as confirmed by its operator, Innospace Co. The launch took place from the Alcantara Space Center at 10:13 p.m. Monday (local time), but the vehicle crashed just 30 seconds post-launch due to an abnormality, according to the company.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the rocket fell within a designated ground safety zone, fortunately resulting in no casualties or further damage. During a YouTube livestream of the event, flames were visible immediately after liftoff, prompting the suspension of the broadcast shortly thereafter. The Hanbit-Nano rocket was tasked with deploying five satellites into a 300-kilometer low Earth orbit, a mission that would have marked a significant milestone as the first successful satellite launch by a private South Korean company.

The two-stage rocket employed a hybrid engine with a 25-ton thrust for the first stage, and a liquid methane and oxygen engine for the second stage. The launch had been delayed three times since its original date of November 22. In response to the failure, Innospace is planning a second launch attempt in the first half of next year, following an extensive improvement process.

Kim Soo-jong, CEO of Innospace, addressed shareholders with a letter acknowledging the mission's failure to meet its goals, but emphasized the valuable data collected. "Although this launch did not reach the final outcome originally planned, it is a very meaningful achievement that we successfully secured flight, propulsion and operational data that can only be obtained in an actual flight environment," Kim stated.