Space One launched a rocket earlier in hopes of becoming the first private entity in Japan to put a satellite in orbit, but its rocket (named Kairos) exploded seconds after lift off.
The solid-fueled “Kairos” rocket carrying an experimental government satellite exploded just seconds after launching on Wednesday. The Space One startup had hoped to become the first private Japanese company to put a satellite into orbit. ‘The rocket terminated the flight after judging that the achievement of its mission would be difficult,’ company president Masakazu Toyoda said at a news conference.
Space One's Kairos exploded midair within seconds of its launch. The rocket was carrying a government satellite intended to temporarily replace intelligence satellites.