A startup called Space One has launched a rocket in hopes of becoming the first private entity in Japan to launch a satellite into orbit. Unfortunately, his attempt ended in a fiery explosion, just seconds after takeoff.
Its Kairos rocket, about 18 meters long, was launched from the company's Kii Spaceport in Wakayama, a prefecture south of Osaka in Japan's Kansai region.
Space One director Mamoru Endo told journalists at a conference that the rocket's automatic system detected an anomaly five seconds after liftoff. and activated the self-destruct function. The company has not yet discovered what the anomaly was and will investigate the incident to obtain answers.
The Kairos carried payload for the Cabinet Satellite Intelligence Center, which collects and analyzes image information for the Japanese government. This satellite was supposed to be an alternative to an existing Japanese satellite which monitors North Korean military installations and rocket launches.
Masakazu Toyoda, the company's president, said during the conference that Space One is "prepared to face the next challenge." Masakazu Toyoda also highlighted that failed launches are common in space travel. And that's true – SpaceX, for example, has lost several Starship vehicles in recent years when these exploded during testing.
“We want to provide the shortest delivery time in the world”
Space One, backed by Canon and aerospace manufacturer IHI, hopes to eventually offer satellite launch services using small rockets, which the company says “offer greater scheduling flexibility than larger ones.”
Its aim is also to provide “the world’s shortest lead time from contract signing to launch, as well as the world’s most frequent launch schedule”, while minimizing the costs of placing satellites into orbit.
Since the company must be able to launch successfully before customers come knocking, it is very likely that it will announce its next attempt in the near future.
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