South Korean startup Innospace says it knows what went wrong on its first-ever orbital launch attempt.
Innospace sent its Hanbit-Nano rocket skyward for the first time ever on Dec. 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 section of Hanbit-Nano’s first-stage hybrid rocket combustion chamber triggered a rupture, ultimately leading to mission failure, according to a March 17 Innospace update.
The leak “was caused by insufficient compression and uneven sealing performance resulting from plastic deformation of sealing components during the reassembly process following the replacement of the forward chamber plug during launch preparation activities in Brazil,” the update reads.
INNOSPACE has identified the cause of the mission termination of its first commercial HANBIT-Nano launch through a joint investigation with Brazil’s aerospace accident investigation authority, CENIPA.The cause was determined through analysis of flight data, video records, and… pic.twitter.com/giMIM42K0RMarch 17, 2026
Hanbit-Nano is a two-stage rocket powered by a mixture of liquid oxygen (LOX) and paraffin, a solid rocket fuel. The rocket’s upper stage is designed to fly in two configurations, one that burns the same LOX-paraffin fuel, and another powered by LOX and liquid methane.
On its failed flight in December, Hanbit-Nano was carrying five payloads for customers in Brazil and India, as well as three technology-demonstrating payloads. The 57-foot-tall (17.3 meters) rocket is designed to deliver nearly 200 pounds (90 kilograms) to a sun-synchronous orbit from its Brazilian launch pad.
Innospace conducted its investigation into the mission’s failure alongside CENIPA, the Brazilian Air Force authority responsible for aerospace accident investigations. Innospace says it is already implementing design improvements to affected components and introducing additional verification steps to prevent similar failures in future launches.
“This process has provided valuable technical assets that will contribute to further advancing our launch vehicle technologies,” said Innospace CEO Soojong Kim in the update.
The company plans to move ahead with a follow-up launch, pending authorization from the Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA). That next attempt is currently targeted for the third quarter of 2026, with Brazil expected to remain the launch site.
Innospace is part of a growing wave of international startups 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 it can recover from early setbacks and move toward regular orbital launch capability.
