Japan’s Space One suffered a major setback in its space endeavors on Wednesday as its small, solid-fuelled rocket exploded just moments after liftoff. The unfortunate incident occurred as the company aimed to secure its position as the first Japanese entity to successfully deploy a satellite into orbit.
The 18-meter, four-stage solid-fuel Kairos rocket disintegrated mere seconds after lifting off at approximately 11:01 am local time. The catastrophic event unfolded on the picturesque Kii peninsula in western Japan, leaving behind a plume of smoke, debris from the shattered rocket, and frantic firefighting efforts near the launch pad.
According to reports from news agency Reuters, Space One acknowledged that the flight was “interrupted” immediately after liftoff and stated that an investigation into the cause of the failure is underway. Fortunately, the launch site was devoid of personnel during the incident, as launches are typically highly automated with minimal ground staff present.
The ill-fated mission was carrying an experimental government satellite designed to serve as a temporary replacement for intelligence satellites in the event of malfunction or failure.
Space One had initially scheduled the launch for Saturday but was forced to postpone it due to the presence of a ship in the restricted sea area nearby. Despite being a relatively minor player in the global space race, Japan’s rocket developers are striving to produce more cost-effective launch vehicles to meet the burgeoning demand for satellite deployment, both domestically and internationally.
Established in 2018, Space One is a consortium of Japanese companies, including Canon Electronics, IHI Aerospace Engineering, Shimizu Corporation, and the Development Bank of Japan. Minor stakes in the venture are held by two of Japan’s largest banks, Mitsubishi UFJ and Mizuho.
The failure of Wednesday’s launch resulted in a significant drop in shares for Canon Electronics, underscoring the financial implications of such setbacks in the aerospace industry.
Looking ahead, Space One remains determined to offer “space courier services” to a wide range of clients and aims to ramp up its launch frequency to 20 rockets per year by the late 2020s, according to company president Masakazu Toyoda.
Meanwhile, Japan’s state-funded Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) continues its space exploration efforts with the recent successful launch of its new flagship rocket, the H3. Scheduled missions for the H3 include deploying approximately 20 satellites and probes into space by 2030, further cementing Japan’s role in the global space arena.
