Flames detected after Innospace's Hanbit-Nano lifts off in Brazil

The Hanbit-Nano, South Korea's first commercial orbital rocket, lifted off from a launch site in Brazil on Tuesday (Korean time), but flames were detected shortly after launch. The rocket blasted off from the Alcantara Space Center at 10:13 p.m. Monday (local time), according to Innospace, a Korean space startup. The flames were observed immediately after liftoff, though the company did not provide further details on the cause or extent of the issue. The company livestreamed the launch on YouTube but suspended the broadcast about one minute after liftoff. The rocket is carrying a payload that includes five satellites, which will be deployed into a 300-kilometer low orbit. If successful, Innospace would become the first private South Korean company to place a customer satellite into orbit. The two-stage vehicle employs a 25-ton thrust hybrid engine that powers the first stage, and the second stage is backed by a liquid methane and oxygen engine. The launch has been postponed three times since the company's original date of Nov. 22.