Japan’s Space One has faced a setback as its small solid-fuelled rocket, Kairos, exploded shortly after its inaugural launch on Wednesday.
The incident occurred as the company aimed to make history by becoming the first Japanese company to successfully put a satellite in orbit.
The 18-meter (59 ft) solid-fuel rocket met a sudden end just seconds after lifting off at 11:01 a.m. (0201 GMT).
Local media livestreams captured the scene, revealing a large cloud of smoke, remnants of the rocket, and firefighting efforts near the launch pad on the mountainous Kii peninsula in western Japan.
Space One acknowledged that the flight was “interrupted” and promptly initiated an investigation into the incident.
There was no immediate indication of what caused the explosion.
Fortunately, there were no reported injuries near the launch pad, and the fire resulting from the explosion has been extinguished, according to Shuhei Kishimoto, governor of the local Wakayama government.
Space One emphasized the highly automated nature of the launch, requiring only about a dozen staff at the ground control center.
The ill-fated Kairos rocket was carrying an experimental government satellite designed to temporarily replace intelligence satellites in orbit if they were to go offline.
Originally planned for Saturday, the launch was postponed after a ship entered the nearby restricted sea area.
Despite Japan being a relatively smaller player in the space race, the nation’s rocket developers, including Space One, are fervently working to create more cost-effective vehicles to meet the increasing demand for satellite launches from both the Japanese government and global clients.
This incident, however, poses a setback to Japan’s aspirations in the competitive space industry.
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