Space One, a Japanese space startup, aborted its second attempt to launch a rocket carrying a satellite just minutes after liftoff on Wednesday. It comes nine months after its first launch attempt ended in an explosion.
The Kairos No. 2 rocket was lifted off from a site in central Japan’s Wakayama Prefecture. However, the company concluded mid-flight that the mission was unlikely to succeed and canceled it. The exact cause of the failure is currently unknown, and more details are expected at a press conference later Wednesday.
Space One aims to become Japan’s first private company to put a satellite into orbit, seeking to bolster the country’s lagging space industry with an affordable, small-rocket space transportation business.
Wednesday’s launch was delayed twice by strong winds and followed a failed debut flight in March, where the rocket intentionally exploded five seconds after liftoff. The flight carried a government satellite that monitors North Korea’s missile activity.
The Kairos No. 2 rocket carried five small satellites, including one from Taiwan’s space agency and others from Japanese startups. Space One claimed to have solved the cause of the first flight failure, which was linked to a miscalculation in the rocket’s first stage propulsion.
Founded in 2018, Tokyo-based Space One has the backing of major Japanese companies such as Canon Electronics, IHI, Shimizu, and several banks. The company aims to offer 20 space delivery flights a year at a lower cost than the six planned by Japan’s government-led space program.
Japan’s space development is mainly led by major industry players such as the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Their flagship rockets include the larger H3 and the smaller Epsilon, both catering to the expanding satellite transport market.