Japan’s Space One Kairos rocket explodes during ‘interrupted’ inaugural flight
- The 18-metre, four-stage solid-fuel rocket exploded seconds after lifting off, leaving behind a large loud of smoke, a fire, and fragments of the rocket
- There was no immediate indication of what caused the explosion, or whether there were any injuries
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Japan’s Space One rocket Kairos explodes seconds after its inaugural launch
Kairos, a small, solid-fuelled rocket made by Japan’s Space One, exploded shortly after its inaugural launch on Wednesday as the firm tried to become the first Japanese company to put a satellite in orbit.
The setback for Space One and the rocket industry in Japan comes as the government and investors ramp up support for the sector amid a national security build-up and skyrocketing demand for commercial satellites.
The 18-metre (59ft) rocket exploded five seconds after lifting off, leaving behind a large cloud of smoke, a fire, fragments of the rocket and sprays of firefighting water near the launch pad on the tip of mountainous Kii peninsula in western Japan, visible on local media live-streams.
“The rocket terminated the flight after judging that the achievement of its mission would be difficult,” company president Masakazu Toyoda said.
Space One did not specify what triggered self-destruction after the first-stage engine ignited – or when the company would launch the next Kairos – only pledging an investigation into the explosion.
The company said that the launch is highly automated, requiring only about a dozen ground staff, and that the rocket self-destructs when it detects errors in its flight path, speed or control system that could cause a crash that endangers people on the ground.