South Korea's Innospace to launch rocket from Brazil in December
June 17, 2022, 5:15 pm

South Korea's Innospace to launch rocket from Brazil in December

Innospace to conduct first suborbital launch of flight hardware in December - Pic. Koreatechdesk

The president of Brazilian Space Agency (AEB), Carlos Moura, said on Friday (June 17), South Korean aerospace and defense company Innospace will be the first private business to send up a rocket from the Alcantara launch center in northern Brazil in December.

Moura said in an interview that Innospace, which plans to make low-cost small satellite launches more accessible from multiple locations around the globe, is still developing its rocket and will test it with an experimental launch from Alcantara.

The South Korean company is developing a hybrid rocket powered by both solid and liquid fuel.

Brazil is hoping to get a slice of the rapidly-growing small satellite launch market by offering its base in Alcantara, whose location on the Atlantic coast by the equator reduces fuel costs as satellites do not have to travel so far to get into orbit.

South Korea's innospace to launch rocket from Brazil in December - Pic. anews

U.S. rocket company Hyperion pulled out of negotiations with Brazil and Innospace took its place to become the operator of the main launch area at Alcantara base, which is run by the Brazilian Air Force.

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Moura said that Canadian aerospace company C6 Launch Systems Inc, which last year obtained a Brazilian operator license, plans a launch from Alcantara in 2023, while Virginia-based Orion AST, which plans launches initially aimed at collecting space junk, has not made progress.

Billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit has also obtained a license to operate in Brazil and will use Alcantara's existing 2.6-kilometer (1.6-mile) runway for its Boeing 747, Cosmic Girl, to take off and launch rockets that put smallsats into low earth orbit.

Moura said smaller satellite companies are having a hard time booking launches from existing sites, with waiting lists of two to three years, so Alcantara could become an alternative.

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Moura said that although Elon Musk visited Brazil recently, his SpaceX has no plans to invest in a new installation such as Alcantara and will continue working from existing sites in the United States.

He said that but if the number of SpaceX flights increases rapidly and the U.S. government decided to build a facility in northern Brazil that could change.

Source: anews

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”