SEOUL, Dec 23 (Bernama-Yonhap) -- The Hanbit-Nano, South Korea's first commercial orbital rocket, lifted off from a launch site in Brazil on Tuesday (Korean time) but crashed shortly afterwards due to an abnormality in the vehicle, its operator Innospace Co. said, Yonhap News Agency reported.
The rocket blasted off from the Alcantara Space Centre at 10.13 pm Monday (local time), according to the company.
Innospace said, however, the vehicle fell to the ground 30 seconds after liftoff.
The rocket crashed within a ground safety zone, with no casualties or additional damage reported, it added.
Flames were observed immediately after liftoff during a YouTube livestream of the launch, which was suspended shortly afterward.
The rocket was carrying a payload that included five satellites set to be deployed into a 300-kilometre low orbit.
If successful, Innospace would have become the first private South Korean company to place a customer satellite into orbit.
The two-stage vehicle employed a 25-tonne thrust hybrid engine that powered the first stage, while the second stage was backed by a liquid methane and oxygen engine.
The launch had been postponed three times since the company's original date of Nov 22.
-- BERNAMA-YONHAP
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