[Edaily Reporter Kang Min-koo ] Private space launch company INNOSPACE Co., Ltd.(462350)submitted its internal report on the causes of the premature termination of the first test flight of its multipurpose suborbital rocket “SEBIT,” conducted on the 19th of last month at the Alcântara Space Center in Brazil, to the Brazilian Center for Investigation and Prevention of Aviation Accidents (CENIPA) and has begun a joint investigation.

Unlike launch vehicles designed to place satellites into Earth orbit, “SEBIT” is a multipurpose suborbital rocket developed to transport customer payloads to altitudes of 100 km or less, enabling technology testing, verification, and scientific research missions in a high-altitude, microgravity environment.

“Sebit’s” first test flight was conducted to comprehensively verify its flight performance and operational stability, as well as to accumulate flight data and operational experience necessary for providing suborbital testing and verification services based on reliability and stability in the future.

According to INNOSPACE Co., Ltd., an internal analysis of the causes behind “Sebit’s” early flight termination—based on measurement data collected during the flight—revealed that the algorithm controlling attitude and orientation by moving the four fins mounted on the lower section of the spacecraft requires refinement. The company identified discrepancies between design predictions and actual flight results during the low-speed flight segment and is currently improving the fin control algorithm, as well as design and testing procedures, to be applied in subsequent verification flights based on the actual data acquired during this flight.

INNOSPACE Co., Ltd. is also participating in the joint investigation by providing additional analytical data required during the CENIPA investigation and engaging in technical consultations, and plans to incorporate any additional findings from the official investigation into necessary improvements and verification.

This test flight also yielded some positive results. The performance of the “non-explosive Flight Termination System (FTS),” one of the key technologies under verification, was confirmed. INNOSPACE Co., Ltd. independently developed and applied to this flight the “non-explosive flight termination system,” which cuts off the oxidizer supply upon a flight termination command to halt the thrust of the propulsion system (engine) and safely terminates the flight by separating the rocket. The system operated normally according to the designed procedures and received a positive evaluation from the Brazilian Air Force, the launch site operator, for the safe execution of the flight termination procedure.

Kim Soo-jong, CEO of INNOSPACE Co., Ltd., stated, “‘Sebit’ is a multipurpose suborbital platform capable of expanding our customer base to include the private, defense, and aerospace sectors based on the demand for technology demonstration in high-altitude and microgravity environments; it is a product expected to achieve relatively rapid commercialization and revenue generation.” He added, “We plan to resume follow-up flights as soon as possible to complete technical verification and accelerate commercialization.”

He continued, “INNOSPACE Co., Ltd. is proceeding with a plan to resume ‘Sebit’s’ verification flights in November, taking into account the CENIPA investigation, the status of technical enhancements and verification, launch site operating conditions, and business strategy, while adjusting the launch date for ‘Hanbit-NANO. Co., Ltd.’ to the first half of next year.” He added, “The specific schedule will be finalized based on the results of future consultations.”