Japan’s 1st Private-Sector Rocket Blow up Next Moment After Launch

The first privately developed Japanese rocket, named ‘Kairos,’ experienced a mishap just moments after liftoff from a spaceport in western Japan on Wednesday, as reported by Kyodo News. The unfortunate incident, captured on a live stream video, displayed the rocket debris falling onto nearby mountainous terrain and into the sea. Fragments of the rocket were seen scattered on the ground, with firefighting efforts underway to extinguish a substantial fire.

Despite the efforts of Tokyo-based startup ‘Space One,’ the 18-meter-long solid-fuel Kairos rocket failed to become Japan’s maiden private company to successfully deploy a satellite into orbit, as stated by The Japan Times. Following the explosion, local firefighters were promptly dispatched to the scene, with no reported casualties thus far.

Space One reported the implementation of “flight termination measures” after the incident. The initial launch, scheduled for Saturday, faced a delay due to the discovery of a ship in a designated safety zone in the ocean.

The satellite on board the ill-fated rocket, according to the Cabinet Satellite Intelligence Center, was designed to perform functions akin to an existing government satellite, monitoring military facilities in North Korea.

Established in 2018, Space One, backed by Canon Electronics Inc., IHI Aerospace Co., Shimizu Corp., and the government-owned Development Bank of Japan, aspires to commercialize space delivery services. The startup aims to lower costs and increase the frequency of rocket launches, with the goal of sending 30 rockets into space annually by the 2030s.

Initially targeting a rocket launch in 2021, the startup faced five postponements, citing delays in parts procurement amid the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to The Japan Times. In May 2019, Interstellar Technologies, based in Hokkaido, achieved the feat of sending Japan’s first privately developed rocket into space, albeit without a satellite payload.

Last month, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) celebrated success with the launch of its next-generation H3 rocket, marking a significant achievement for the nation’s satellite-launching and space exploration aspirations after the setback of its initial model nearly a year ago.

The global satellite launch count has seen a tenfold increase over the past decade, reaching a record of 2,368 in 2022, according to the Cabinet Office.