Innospace
Korean aerospace company
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Innospace (Korean: 이노스페이스) is a South Korean startup company specializing in developing a hybrid space rocket. It was founded in 2017.[1]
Innospace stand at the IAC 2022 | |
Native name | 이노스페이스 |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace industry |
| Founded | September 2017 |
| Headquarters | , South Korea |
| Products | Launch vehicle |
| Website | www |
History
Innospace was founded in 2017 by Kim Soo-jong, who received his master's and doctorate in aerospace engineering from Korea Aerospace University.[2][3]
In June 2024, the company signed a launch service contract with Italy's CShark S.r.l. and Thailand's EOS Orbit for the small satellite launch vehicle HANBIT. Under this contract, Innospace will perform commercial launch missions to place 35 CShark's satellites into target orbit over a three-year period starting in 2025 and one EOS Orbit's satellite starting in 2025.[4] According to what Innospace revealed in March 2025, the company succeeded in independently developing HANBIT-NANO's launch pad.[5]
Active missions
HANBIT-TLV
On 21 March 2023, the company launched it's HANBIT-TLV single-stage thrust hybrid suborbital rocket from the Alcantara Space Center in Brazil.[6][7] This was the first space vehicle launch by the South Korea’s private sector.[6] The company's shares were first publicly traded on 2 July 2024.[8]
Future missions
The company is planning its first commercial space missions in 2025.[9]
HANBIT-Nano
HANBIT-Nano is a two-stage launch vehicle that is 21.8m long and 1.4m in diameter and can launch 90kg into a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 500 km. The first stage is equipped with one 25-ton hybrid engine, and the second stage is equipped with one 3-ton engine. The second stage operates the hybrid engine HyPER and the methane engine LiMER according to the launch mission requested by the customer, thereby providing a customized launch service.[10][11]
HANBIT-Micro
HANBIT-Micro is a two-stage launch vehicle that is 22.5m long and 1.4m in diameter and can launch 170kg into a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 500 km.[14] The first stage is equipped with one 25-ton hybrid engine, and the second stage is equipped with one 3-ton methane engine. A final kick stage capable of 4kN thrust performs the final orbital maneuvering.[14]
| First Stage | Second Stage | Kick Stage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thrust | 245 kN | 2x 29 kN | 4 kN |
| Burn Time | 130 s | 250 s | 390 s |
| SI | 292 s | 350 s | 350 s |
| Fuel | Paraffin / LOX | Methane / LOX | Methane / LOX |
HANBIT-Mini
HANBIT-Mini is a three-stage launch vehicle that is 39.6m long and 3.7m in diameter and can launch 1300kg into a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 500 km.[14] The first stage is equipped with nine 25-ton hybrid engines, and the second stage is equipped with one 25-ton hybrid engine, and the third stage with two 3-ton methane engines.[15]
| First Stage | Second Stage | Third Stage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thrust | 9x 245 kN | 245 kN | 2x 29 kN |
| Burn Time | 130 s | 150 s | 350 s |
| SI | 292 s | 325 s | 350 s |
| Fuel | Paraffin / LOX | Paraffin / LOX | Methane / LOX |
