The emerging Japanese space firm Space One has again failed to launch its first Kairos rocket into space, exploding seconds after takeoff.
This launcher was carrying five satellites when it was ordered to self-destruct shortly after taking off around 04:00 UTC from the Kii spaceport, about 420 kilometers southwest of Tokyo.
The flight was canceled after mission control determined that success would be difficultthe company said in a statement, cited by Bloomberg.
The company’s initial attempt in March ended in flames after a self-destruct signal was sent seconds after leaving the ground.
Space One, founded in 2018, is backed by investors including Canon Electronics Inc., IHI Aerospace Engineering Co. and real estate contractor Shimizu Corp. and the Development Bank of Japan. Previous launches were delayed by the pandemic and the war in Ukraineaccording to CEO Masakazu Toyoda.
At 18 meters, Kairos is shorter than the Japanese space agency’s 24-meter-tall Epsilon and the 63-meter-tall H3, which JAXA launched in February.
Space One announced last month that it had signed agreements with customers, including Taiwan’s space agency, to have satellites on the second Kairos launch attempt.
Space Port Kii is the country’s first launch complex for commercial missions and offers companies an alternative to the site used by the national space agency JAXA in southern Japan.
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