Japanese solid-fuelled rocket explodes shortly after launch
Al Jazeera
Tokyo-based startup Space One was aiming to become the first private Japanese firm to put a satellite into orbit.
A small Japanese rocket exploded shortly after launch in a blow to Tokyo-based startup Space One’s attempt to become the first local company to put a satellite into orbit.
The 18-metre (60 feet), four-stage solid-fuel rocket called Kairos exploded into pieces seconds after liftoff at 11.01am (02:01 GMT) on Tuesday, filling livestream screens with pictures of flames and billowing clouds of smoke. Burning debris could be seen falling onto the surrounding mountain slopes as sprinklers began spraying water.
Space One said the flight was “interrupted” after the launch from the mountainous Kii peninsula in western Japan and was investigating the situation.
There was no immediate indication of what caused the explosion, or whether there were any injuries. Space One has said the launch was highly automated and required only about a dozen staff at the ground control centre.
Kairos carried an experimental government satellite capable of temporarily replacing intelligence satellites if they malfunctioned and was supposed to have put it into orbit about 51 minutes after the launch.
