First Commercial Orbital Rocket Launch from Alcântara Rescheduled to October 19
Technical issues have delayed Brazil's first commercial orbital rocket launch from Alcântara to October 19, highlighting public-private collaboration in the space sector.
- • The Hanbit-Nano rocket launch postponed to October 19 at 3:34 PM Brasília time due to a technical issue.
- • The anomaly involved the cooling system in the rocket's oxidizer feed, remedied preventively without structural concerns.
- • The launch window remains open until December 22, allowing flexible scheduling.
- • The rocket will carry eight payloads, predominantly Brazilian, emphasizing national scientific advancement.
Key details
The inaugural commercial orbital launch from Brazil's Alcântara Launch Center (CLA) has been postponed to Friday, October 19, at 3:34 PM Brasília time. The South Korean Hanbit-Nano rocket, operated by Innospace, was initially scheduled to launch on October 17 but experienced a delay due to a technical issue discovered during final inspections. The issue involved a component of the cooling system for the oxidizer feed in the rocket's first stage, which required preventive replacement. Importantly, the anomaly did not indicate any structural defect, and the fix can be applied with the rocket remaining on the launch pad, allowing a swift rescheduling.
The Brazilian Space Agency (AEB) confirmed the launch window remains open until December 22, providing scheduling flexibility. The Brazilian Air Force verified the support infrastructure and technical teams are fully prepared.
Designed as a two-stage orbital vehicle, the Hanbit-Nano stands 21.7 meters tall and 1.4 meters in diameter, capable of delivering up to 90 kilograms of payload to an orbit approximately 500 kilometers above Earth. The mission carries eight payloads, seven of which are Brazilian-developed by institutions including universities, startups, research institutes, and companies, with backing from Brazil's Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation through AEB.
This launch is a landmark event for Brazil's space program, emphasizing the strategic importance of public-private partnerships and the Alcântara Launch Center's growing role in the global orbital launch market. Marco Antonio Chamon, AEB president, highlighted the flexibility offered by the open launch window, supporting any necessary last-minute adjustments ahead of lift-off.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
