KUSHIMOTO, Wakayama Pref.: A Japanese satellite-carrying rocket developed by Space One Co. exploded shortly after liftoff from the Tokyo-based company’s launch site in Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture, on Wednesday.

If the launch of the Kairos rocket had been successful, it would have been the first launch in Japan of a satellite-carrying rocket solely developed by the private sector.

The rocket took a flight termination measure after it detected something abnormal, Space One President Masakazu Toyoda said at a press conference in Nachikatsuura, Wakayama. Toyoda said he will oversee a task force to investigate the cause of the problem and prevent a recurrence.

“Space One will not use the word ‘failure,'” Toyoda said, adding, “I think all of this is food for new challenges.” But he stopped short of discussing future launch plans, only saying, “We’ll respond as soon as possible once measures to prevent a recurrence become clear.”

Chief Cabinet Secretary HAYASHI Yoshimasa told a press conference in Tokyo that the failed launch is very regrettable.

The Kairos rocket exploded about five seconds after liftoff at 11:01 a.m. Fragments of the rocket fell on the premises of the launch site. There were no injuries or damage to homes.

Around 18 meters long and weighing about 23 tons, the rocket featured three solid-fuel stages and a liquid-propellant upper stage. A small satellite of the Cabinet Satellite Intelligence Center placed in the rocket’s tip was lost in the explosion.

The rocket was initially scheduled for launch in fiscal 2021, which ended in March 2022. The launch, however, was delayed several times due to delays in parts procurement.

Space One was founded in 2018 by Japanese companies including Canon Electronics Inc. and IHI Aerospace Co. It aims to launch 20 rockets a year by the mid-2020s to send small satellites into space.

JIJI Press