A satellite launch project led by a Japanese private corporations once again failed to clear the threshold. Space One, a Japanese space startup, attempted to launch the third Kairos on the 4th, but operations were halted when a safety system activated just before liftoff.
According to the Asahi Shimbun and Kyodo News, Space One was scheduled to launch the rocket at around 11 a.m. on the 4th in Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture, in western Honshu. However, a safety device activated 30 seconds before launch, preventing it from proceeding to final liftoff.
The company said the stoppage was not due to a malfunction of the vehicle itself. Space One plans to investigate the exact cause and set a new launch timetable.
The third Kairos is a solid-fuel rocket measuring 18 meters in height and weighing 23 tons. It was originally set to launch on the 25th of last month, but after two postponements due to weather and other factors, the launch was pushed again for this day.
Space One attempted two rocket launches in 2024, but both ended in midair explosions, resulting in mission failure. Since then, it had prepared to launch the third Kairos with the goal of being the first Japanese private corporations to place a satellite into Earth orbit on its own.
Founded in 2018, Space One is a Japanese space venture funded by IHI Aerospace and Canon Electronics, among others. The company aims to launch 30 small rockets annually in the 2030s.