Space One, a private Japanese firm, attempted to be the first Japanese company to put a satellite into orbit. Kairos, the 59-foot-tall, solid-fueled spacecraft, lifted off at 11:01 a.m. in the mountainous Kii Peninsula in western Japan on Wednesday. Five seconds after launch, the middle of the rocket erupted into a large explosion, and the unmanned craft burst into flames. The explosion was caught on video by media live streams from the top of the mountain. Space One reported the flight was “interrupted” after the launch and that they are investigating the cause of the explosion.
Currently, the cause of the explosion is unknown. Space One said that the launch is performed in a widely automated process and that there were only 12 staff members at the ground control center. A brief statement by the company suggested the rocket’s automated flight termination system had been triggered but gave no reason why. The self-destruct left plumes of smoke and debris came crashing down, though the launchpad did not appear to be damaged. No injuries were reported near the launch pad, Shuhei Kishimoto, governor of Wakayama prefecture, told reporters, according to the New York Times.
Space One was founded in 2018 with the backing of four Japanese investors, including Canon Electronics, IHI, Shimizu, and major banks, the Associated Press reported. The Japanese government satellite that the Kairos was carrying would have gathered intel about rocket launches from North Korea, as well as other countries. Cabinet Satellite Intelligence Center, the owner of the satellite, said in a statement that the satellite would have only performed as a backup in case other satellites were down.
The failure of Kairos represents a setback for Japan; the nation is eager to join the commercial space transportation market. However, Masakazu Toyoda, president of Space One, refuses to call the mission a failure and sees it as a learning experience that will further future endeavors. “We are taking what happened in a positive way and remain prepared to take up the next challenge,” Toyoda told reporters. Space One did not disclose the cost of the Kairos launch, but company executive Kozo Abe said it is “competitive enough” against American rival Rocket Lab.
