Japan's Space One Kairos rocket explodes on inaugural flight
Source: NBC News/Reuters
March 12, 2024, 11:02 PM EDT
TOKYO — Japan’s Space One’s small, solid-fueled Kairos rocket 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 59-foot, four-stage solid-fuel rocket exploded seconds after lifting off just after 11:01 a.m. (10:01 p.m. Tuesday ET), leaving behind a large loud of smoke, a fire, fragments of the rocket and firefighting water sprays near the launchpad, visible on local media livestreams of the launch on the tip of mountainous Kii peninsula in western Japan.
Space One said the flight was “interrupted” after the launch and that it was investigating the situation. There was no immediate indication of what caused the explosion, or whether there were any injuries. Pads typically have no people anywhere nearby during a launch. Space One has said the launch is highly automated and requires roughly a dozen staff members at the ground control center.
Space One's Kairos rocket explodes after liftoff from a launchpad in Kushimoto in western Japan on Wednesday.Kyodo News via AP
Kairos carried an experimental government satellite that can temporarily replace intelligence satellites in orbit if they fall offline. Space One had planned the launch for Saturday but postponed it after a ship entered the nearby restricted sea area. Although Japan is a relatively small player in the space race, the nation’s rocket developers are scrambling to build cheaper vehicles to capture booming demand for satellite launches from its government and from global clients.
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/japans-space-one-kairos-rocket-explodes-inaugural-flight-rcna143108
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