A sub-orbital launch attempt of the Hapith 1 (HP1) rocket ended in failure at 0639 GMT on 16 September. During ignition and initial lift off the vehicle suffered an internal fault causing it to catch alight. The rocket then fell onto the starboard side of the pad. The rocket’s first-stage tank/pipework ruptured on impact but the rocket did not explode. The fire was contained at the pad and dealt with by fire crews. Only the flame deflector on the pad was seriously damaged.
Hapith 1 on launch pad. Courtesy: TiSPACE Inc.
After three delays in the week leading up to launch owing to high altitude winds in the vicinity, the Taiwanese company TiSPACE frinally tried on 15 September to launch the Hapith I rocket from the Whalers Way site in Southern Australia. This launch attempt was aborted at 0448 GMT (sometime after T-1 minute) after one of the vehicle’s systems did not come online as per the safety protocols and the vehicle was put into a safe state.
TiSPACE hoped to use this launch to test its hybrid propulsion systems as the company plans to carry out commercial launches of satellites in the future.
