
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
Update for 7:40 p.m. ET on Dec. 19: Innospace has called off today's planned launch of the Spaceward mission due to a technical issue. A new target date has not yet been announced.
South Korean startup Innospace is set to attempt its first orbital launch today (Dec. 19), and you can watch the action live.
Liftoff is currently scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EST (9:30 p.m. local time and 0030 GMT on Dec. 20) from the Alcantara Space Center in Brazil. Innospace's Hanbit-Nano rocket will aim to insert five small satellites for customers from Brazil and India into a 186-mile-high (300 kilometers) orbit and mark a first for a private Korean company.
Watch it live here at Space.com, courtesy of Innospace, or directly via the company. Coverage will begin at 6:30 p.m. EST (2330 GMT).
"Hanbit-Nano has been successfully rolled out from the integration facility and transported to the launch pad ahead of liftoff. Preparations for the Spaceward mission are right on track," Innospace said Wednesday (Dec. 16) in a post on the social media platform X.
The 57-foot-tall (17.3 meters) rocket is designed to be able to launch 198 pounds (90 kilograms) into a sun-synchronous orbit from Brazil. The rocket's first-stage hybrid engine burns paraffin and liquid oxygen while the upper stage uses methane and liquid oxygen or paraffin and liquid oxygen, depending on its configuration.
Innospace CEO Kim Soo-jong told Space.com at the International Astronautical Congress in Sydney, Australia, in October that the company was established in 2017 and employs 260 people.
"All of our technology is developed by ourselves. The engineers are Korean, and the development is fully indigenous," Kim said. "Korea has built an ecosystem to develop a launch vehicle. We work with more than 100 supply-chain companies in South Korea," he added.
Kim said Innospace is very focused on the global market. "We already have around 14 contracts with global satellite companies."
A lot is riding on this first launch. Kim said that Hanbit-Micro, an advanced model of Hanbit-Nano that can carry 375 pounds (170 kg) to orbit, is set to begin commercial flights early next year, should all go according to plan.
Today's launch was originally scheduled for Wednesday (Dec. 17), but Innospace pushed it back two days to replace a part in the cooling system of the rocket's first stage.
LATEST POSTS
- 1
The Best Internet based Retailers for Style and Frill07.07.2023 - 2
Different Film Classification: What's Your Go-To for Amusement01.01.1 - 3
UN estimates over 2,000 Sudanese pregnant women have fled el-Fasher to escape conflict18.11.2025 - 4
2023's Best 10 Cell phone Advancements You Can't Miss11.08.2023 - 5
Several Israelis attempt to cross into Gaza, escorted back to Israel by IDF10.12.2025
One third of Spanish pork export certificates blocked since swine fever outbreak, minister says
‘Democratizing space’ is more than just adding new players – it comes with questions around sustainability and sovereignty
Teen drug use remains low, but survey finds small rise in heroin and cocaine use
Bombardier Global 8000 Enters Service
Figure out How to Pick the Right Dental specialist for Your Dental Inserts
Cuba says 33 have died of mosquito-borne illnesses as epidemic rages
A Manual for Nations to Head out To
What's A Decent FICO rating?
World leaders, rights groups react to COP30 climate deal













