Photo: Collected
The first launch of the private rocket dubbed Kairos-1 in Japan, belonging to Space One company failed after the rocket exploded seconds after the start on Wednesday (13 March).
The start of the rocket was given at 11:01 local time (02:01 GMT) from the private cosmodrome Spaceport Kii in Wakayama prefecture, but seconds later, after detaching from the launchpad, it exploded. The vehicle was carrying a small satellite on board. It was meant to be the first launch by a private company in Japan.
"I heard from Space One officials that something went wrong on the flight and the automatic emergency abort system activated," Wakayama prefecture governor Shuhei Kishimoto told a press conference, beamed live by the NHK broadcaster.
Following the accident, the company's representatives apologized that they had "not been able to meet customer expectations."
KAIROS-1 is a small solid-propellant rocket 18 meters (60 feet) long and weighing 23 tonnes. The satellite on board was to partially replace satellites that currently collect information on North Korean military facilities, as well as test their functionality in case of failure.
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