The
inaugural
launch
of
Space
One’s
Kairos
rocket
ended
in
failure,
with
the
launch
vehicle
exploding
mere
seconds
after
clearing
the
tower
in
Wakayama
prefecture.
It’s
a
setback
for
Japan’s
space
sector,
which
is
striving
for
competitiveness
in
the
burgeoning
aerospace
industry,
but
commercial
ventures
rarely
achieve
success
on
their
first
attempts.
Tokyo-based Space One will have to wait in its attempt to become the first Japanese firm to place a satellite in orbit. Launching at 10:01 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 12 (11:01 a.m. Japan Time on Wednesday, March 13) from Space One Launch Pad at Space Port Kii, the 59-foot (18-meter) rocket exploded five seconds into its maiden voyage. Video of the failed launch showed a gigantic fireball and smoke amid a scenic background, with debris falling onto the mountainous, forested terrain below.
Private firm’s rocket explodes shortly after liftoff in Japan
As
the
Associated
Press
reports,
no
injuries
were
reported
and
the
ensuing
fire
was
quickly
brought
under
control.
The light-lift launch vehicle was on a mission to deploy an experimental satellite for the Japanese government’s Cabinet Satellite Intelligence Center. AP says this satellite was primarily tasked with monitoring military facilities in North Korea, and, as Reuters notes, it was also meant to serve as a temporary replacement for any intelligence satellites that may go offline.
Kairos’ automated self-destruct system kicked in five seconds into the launch, for reasons that aren’t yet clear. “The rocket terminated the flight after judging that the achievement of its mission would be difficult,” company president Masakazu Toyoda told reporters. The highly automated launch system likely detected anomalies in the flight trajectory, speed, or control systems—errors that could’ve endangered people on the ground.
Fire and smoke from the fallen rocket. Photo: Yomiuri Shimbun/Keita Iijima (AP)
It’s
a
setback
for
Japan’s
space
aspirations,
as
the
nation
strives
to
keep
pace
with
the
U.S.
and
China
in
the
new
space
race.
Despite
being
a
smaller
contender,
Japanese
rocket
developers
are
seeking
to
develop
more
cost-effective
launch
vehicles.
This
effort
aims
to
meet
the
increasing
demand
for
satellite
launches,
both
from
the
Japanese
government
and
international
clients.
Japan’s
space
agency,
JAXA,
has
also
experienced
delays,
but
recently
launched
its
new
H3
rocket
on
the
second
attempt.
Space One, founded in July 2018, aims to actively compete with major players like SpaceX and Rocket Lab. In this competitive landscape, Kairos is showing potential with a model that closely resembles Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket, which has flown on 41 successful missions to date.
The three-stage Kairos rocket, equipped with solid-fuel engines and a liquid-fuel post-boost stage, is designed to deliver payloads of up to 550 pounds (250 kilograms) to low Earth orbit. The company, bolstered by investments from Canon Electronics, IHI Aerospace, Shimizu Corporation, and the Development Bank of Japan (among many other banks), aims to launch 30 rockets annually by the 2030s, according to Kyodo News. As CNBC reports, shares of Canon Electronics fell by nearly 13% earlier today, in what is a likely investor response to the failed launch.
Investor nervousness aside, it’s exceptionally rare for a company to place a satellite in orbit on its first attempt. Toyoda informed reporters that the company is “taking what happened in a positive way,” emphasizing the importance of “new data and experiences” in achieving success. Space One is now investigating the incident.
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