ENTRE News – Japan’s first commercial rocket launch attempt ended in dramatic failure just seconds after liftoff. Space One’s Kairos rocket, which is 18 meters long and has four stages, was launched from Space Port Kii in Kushimoto, western Japan on Wednesday (12/3). The flight ended abruptly when the flight shutdown system was triggered, causing the rocket to explode. No damage was reported to the launch pad and no personnel were injured. The fire that was visible immediately after the explosion was extinguished a short time later
The company’s president, Masakazu Toyoda, stated that the rocket stopped flying after assessing that achieving its mission would be difficult. It has not been explained what triggered the automatic flight termination system.
An investigation into the cause of the failure will be conducted, with subsequent launch plans depending on the results and necessary actions. Space One, based in Tokyo, was founded in 2018 by major shareholders Canon Electronics, IHI Aerospace Co., Ltd., Shimizu Corporation, and the Development Bank of Japan. The company states its goal is to launch more than 20 per year before the end of the decade.
Space One originally planned to launch Kairos on Saturday last week. However, it was then postponed after a ship entered the waters near the launch site. The rocket is scheduled to place a small satellite into orbit around the Earth at an altitude of 500 kilometers about 50 minutes after liftoff. If successful, Space One would be the first private Japanese company to achieve such a feat on its own.
Please note that failure to launch a new rocket is not an uncommon occurrence. SpaceX’s Falcon 1 is often cited as an example of a launcher that failed in its initial launch but ultimately succeeded. Several new launchers have recently failed, including launches by American company Astra and China’s Landspace.
“Rocket Lab also did not achieve its mission on its maiden flight (Electron), but then successfully launched three rockets in its second year,” Toyoda said, according to Reuter FOR4D.
Launches like this are often difficult. SpaceX, now one of the world’s largest private space companies, regularly faces difficulties during new rocket launches.
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