The launch of Space One’s first private Japanese launch vehicle, Kairos, turned into a disaster. A few seconds after the successful launch from the spaceport in Wakayama Prefecture, an explosion occurred and the rocket crashed into the mountains nearby.
The launch footage clearly shows a powerful column of black smoke rising above the site of the debris. According to reports from the scene, a large fire broke out there.
The cause of the incident has not yet been established.
The 18-meter Kairos rocket weighing 23 tons was to launch a small Earth observation satellite weighing about 100 kg into orbit at the request of the government. The success of the mission would mark a new era in the development of Japan’s private space industry.
Space One representatives confirmed that they will make every effort to find out the cause of the accident. The Japanese government expected that by 2035, the total number of launch vehicles launched by the national agency JAXA and private firms would reach 30 per year.
