South Korean startup Innospace says it knows what went wrong on its first-ever orbital launch attempt.
Innospace launched its Hanbit-Nano rocket into the sky for the first time ever on December 22 from the Alcantara Space Center in Brazil. But the landmark flight — the first-ever orbital launch attempt by a South Korean company — didn’t last long, as the Hanbit-Nano exploded less than a minute after leaving the pad.
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A gas leak in the forward part of the Hanbit-Nano’s first-stage hybrid rocket combustion chamber triggered a rupture, which ultimately led to the mission failure, according to an Innospace update on March 17.
The leak “was caused by insufficient compression and uneven seal performance resulting from plastic deformation of seal components during the reassembly process following replacement of the forward chamber plug during launch preparation activities in Brazil,” the update said.
INNOSPACE has identified the reason for the mission termination of its first commercial HANBIT-Nano launch through a joint investigation with Brazil’s Aviation Accident Investigation Authority, CENIPA. The cause was determined through analysis of flight data, video footage and… pic.twitter.com/giMIM42K0RMarch 17, 2026
The Hanbit-Nano is a two-stage rocket powered by a mixture of liquid oxygen (LOX) and kerosene, a solid rocket fuel. The rocket’s upper stage is designed to fly in two configurations, one burning the same LOX kerosene fuel, and another powered by LOX and liquid methane.
On its failed flight in December, Hanbit-Nano carried five payloads for customers in Brazil and India, as well as three technology demonstration payloads. The 57-foot-tall (17.3-meter) rocket is designed to deliver nearly 200 pounds (90 kilograms) to a sun-synchronous orbit from the Brazilian launch pad.
Innospace conducted its investigation into the mission’s failure together with CENIPA, the Brazilian air force authority responsible for investigating air accidents. Innospace says it is already implementing design improvements on affected components and introducing additional verification steps to prevent similar errors in future launches.
“This process has provided valuable technical assets that will help further develop our launch vehicle technologies,” Innospace CEO Soojong Kim said in the update.
The company plans to move forward with a follow-up launch pending authorization from the Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA). The next attempt is currently aimed at tthird quarter 2026, with Brazil expected to remain the launch location.
Innospace is part of a growing wave of international start-ups aiming to compete in the small satellite launch market, where reliability and turnaround time are critical.
A successful return to flight in 2026 will be key for the company to demonstrate that it can recover from early setbacks and move toward regular orbital launch capability.
