On Wednesday, Space One, a Tokyo-based startup, experienced a fiery failure when their Kairos rocket exploded just seconds after launch. The company had ambitious goals: to become the first Japanese private firm to successfully place a satellite into orbit.
The Kairos rocket, standing at 18 meters (60 feet), roared to life from Space One’s private launch pad in Wakayama prefecture, located in western Japan.
Mere seconds after the launch, the rocket transformed into a blazing inferno, engulfed in a swirling vortex of black smoke that billowed across the launch pad. As the rocket disintegrated into flames, burning debris rained down upon the surrounding mountain slopes.
“The launch of the first Kairos rocket was executed, but we took a measure to abort the flight,” Space One said in a statement, adding that “details are being investigated”.
The failure of the Kairos rocket represents a setback for Japan’s aspirations to establish a foothold in the lucrative satellite-launch market.
The Japanese government had a specific goal: to evaluate the feasibility of swiftly deploying small, temporary satellites in the event of malfunctions with their existing spy satellites.
Kairos, Japan’s first privately built rocket, was expected to place the satellite into orbit approximately 51 minutes after liftoff.
The rocket was developed by Space One Co., a company founded in 2018 by a consortium of major Japanese tech firms, including Canon Electronics, IHI Aerospace, Shimizu Corporation, and the government-owned Development Bank of Japan .
In a dramatic incident last July, another Japanese rocket engine met a fiery end during a test, erupting into flames approximately 50 seconds after ignition. This ill-fated rocket was none other than the solid-fuel Epsilon S, an upgraded iteration of the Epsilon rocket that had previously faced launch failure in October.
The H3 rocket, Japan’s next-generation space vehicle, encountered a setback during its second launch attempt in March 2023 when it failed shortly after liftoff.
However, in a remarkable turnaround, last month, Japan’s space agency celebrated a triumphant launch of its new flagship rocket, the H3. This achievement followed years of delays and two previous unsuccessful attempts.
Amidst cheers and applause at the JAXA control center, the H3 rocket soared into the sky from the Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan. This remarkable launch marked a significant milestone for Japan’s space program.
The H3 has been positioned as a formidable competitor to SpaceX’s Falcon 9, and its capabilities extend beyond Earth’s orbit. In the future, it could potentially transport cargo to lunar bases and contribute to humanity’s exploration of the Moon.
Notably, this achievement followed Japan’s successful landing of an unmanned probe on the Moon in January. Despite the wonky angle of descent, it became the fifth country to achieve this feat, further solidifying Japan’s presence in space exploration.
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