Burning debris was seen falling onto the surrounding mountain slopes as
sprinklers began spraying water. Seconds after the launch, the rocket
exploded into a ball of flame
Tokyo: A rocket made by a Japanese company exploded just after launch
on Wednesday, with public broadcaster NHK showing footage of the fiery
failure.
Tokyo-based start-up Space One had been aiming to become the first Japanese
private firm to successfully place a satellite into orbit.
Its 18-meter (60-foot) solid-fuel Kairos rocket blasted off from the
start-up’s own launch pad in Wakayama prefecture in western Japan, carrying a
small government test satellite.
Ouch the first Kairos rocket in Japan just, exploded after about 5 seconds. ?
The launch site at first glance seems ok… I think. pic.twitter.com/mddZrPgJ1e— Marcus House (@MarcusHouse) March 13, 2024
But seconds after the launch, the rocket erupted into a ball of flame, with
black smoke filling the launch pad area.
Burning debris was seen falling onto the surrounding mountain slopes as
sprinklers began spraying water.
“The launch of the first Kairos rocket was executed, but we took a measure to
abort the flight,” Space One said in a statement, adding that “details are
being investigated”.
The failure marks a blow to Japan’s efforts to enter the potentially lucrative
satellite-launch market.
The government wants to assess if it can quickly launch temporary, small
satellites when and if its existing spy satellites malfunction.
Kairos had been hoped to put the satellite into the orbit around 51 minutes
after the launch.
Space One was established in 2018 by a team of major Japanese tech businesses,
including Canon Electronics, IHI Aerospace, construction firm Shimizu and the
government-owned Development Bank of Japan.
Last July another Japanese rocket engine exploded during a test around 50
seconds after ignition.
The solid-fuel Epsilon S was an improved version of the Epsilon rocket that
had failed to launch the previous October.
Its testing site in the northern prefecture of Akita was engulfed in flames
and a huge plume of grey smoke rose into the sky.
The malfunction came after Tokyo in March 2023 had seen its second attempt to
launch its next-generation H3 rocket fail after liftoff.
Last month though Japan’s space agency toasted a successful blast-off for its
new flagship rocket, the H3, after years of delays and two previous failed
attempts.
The H3 launched from the Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan,
sparking cheers and applause at JAXA control centre.
It has been mooted as a rival to SpaceX’s Falcon 9, and could one day deliver
cargo to bases on the Moon.
That followed Japan’s successful landing in January of an unmanned probe on
the Moon — but at a wonky unusable angle — making it just the fifth country
to achieve this feat.
(With Agency Inputs)
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