The startup Space One hoped to become the first private company in Japan to put a satellite into orbit. However, its attempt ended with a fiery explosion a few seconds after the start.
The Kairos rocket was launched from the company’s Kii Spaceport in Wakayama, a prefecture south of Osaka. Space One CEO Mamoru Endo told reporters at a conference that the rocket’s automated system detected an anomaly five seconds after takeoff and launched a self-destruct function. The company has not yet found out what the anomaly is and will investigate the incident to get answers.
Kairos was carrying a payload for the Satellite Reconnaissance Center, which collects and analyzes information from satellite images for the Japanese government. This satellite was supposed to be an alternative to an existing Japanese satellite that monitors military installations in North Korea and missile launches in that country, transmits Engadget.
Space One, with support from Canon and aerospace manufacturer IHI, eventually hopes to offer satellite launch services using small rockets, which it says «offer more scheduling flexibility than larger» rockets. The company also aims to provide «the world’s shortest contract-tolaunch time and the world’s most frequent launch schedule» while minimizing the cost of putting satellites into orbit.