South Korea's Innospace fails 1st private orbital launch
South Korean startup Innospace just tried to make history with its first private orbital rocket launch—but things didn't go as planned.
Their Hanbit-Nano rocket lifted off from Brazil, but contact was lost just minutes in.
A caption on the broadcast stated "An unexpected phenomenon was detected during flight."
It's a tough moment for South Korea's commercial space dreams, but also a bold step forward.
What went down with the mission
The two-stage Hanbit-Nano was carrying eight payloads, including satellites from Brazil and India, aiming for low Earth orbit about 300km up.
The rocket used hybrid and methane engines—a pretty ambitious tech mix for a first try.
Why it still matters
Innospace built all the tech themselves and pushed through three delays caused by equipment issues, like trouble with the second-stage engine valve.
Even though this attempt failed, it shows how far South Korea's private space sector has come—and that they're not giving up anytime soon.