Brazil’s burgeoning space ambitions have suffered a significant setback after the inaugural commercial rocket launch from its Alcantara Space Center ended in a crash shortly after liftoff.

The incident has also dealt a blow to shares of South Korean satellite launch company Innospace.

The rocket initially followed its planned vertical trajectory after taking off at 10:13 p.m. local time (0113 GMT). However, just 30 seconds into its flight, an unspecified malfunction caused the craft to fall to the ground, according to Innospace CEO Kim Soo-jong.

  • velindora@lemmy.cafe
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    4 days ago

    Wouldn’t it make more sense for Brazil to send up their own satellites with rockets that are already capable than to waste time, money, energy and hurt the environment by trying to launch their own?

    I’m not saying Brazil doesn’t need to launch a satellite, I’m saying they don’t need their own rocket program.

    • partial_accumen@lemmy.world
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      4 days ago

      Wouldn’t it make more sense for Brazil to send up their own satellites with rockets that are already capable

      I’m assuming you mean “rockets that are already capable” from other nations? Brazil already does this.

      than to waste time, money, energy and

      Brazil isn’t wasting any money. This is a South Korean company launching a South Korean satellite from Brazil. In fact, Brazil is benefiting financially, which could, to your original point, feed more people because they have the money from these launches.

      hurt the environment by trying to launch their own?

      Funny enough, launching from places like Brazil is actually less environmentally damaging than launching from the USA, China, or Russia because this Brazilian launch site is on the equator, meaning less fuel is needed to launch from here than other nations with spaceflight programs. This geography is why Europe’s launch site is also pretty close by in French Guiana.

      So if your concern is less environment impact, you would want MORE of the worlds rockets to come from here.

      I’m not saying Brazil doesn’t need to launch a satellite, I’m saying they don’t need their own rocket program.

      As already stated, this isn’t a Brazilian rocket, nor a Brazilian rocket program.