Private space launch corporations INNOSPACE pushed back the launch schedule of its first commercial launcher, "Hanbit-Nano (HANBIT-Nano)," by two days. During final checks, signs of an anomaly were found in the cooling unit of the first-stage oxidizer supply system, and the delay is to secure time to replace parts.
INNOSPACE said on the 17th that it will change the launch schedule, initially set for the 17th (local time), to 3:45 p.m. on the 19th (local time). In Korea time, that is 3:45 a.m. on Dec. 20.
The company moved Hanbit-Nano from the assembly building to the launchpad on the 15th local time in Brazil and set it on its own launchpad without issue. Then, while conducting final inspections before erecting the launcher on the 16th, an anomaly was detected in the first-stage oxidizer supply system's cooling unit, and after confirming the cause and required measures, it finalized the decision to adjust the launch schedule.
INNOSPACE explained that this measure is at a level where the launch is possible once certain parts of the cooling unit are replaced, and that there is no structural defect in the launcher itself. Although new launch operations typically require about three days, the assessment is that a launch two days later is possible because the parts can be replaced with the vehicle already on the pad.
The launch window for Hanbit-Nano runs from Dec. 16 to 22.