Tokyo: Japanese company Space One faced a setback on Wednesday as its inaugural rocket launch ended in failure, with the Kairos rocket exploding just moments after liftoff. This marked the first attempt from Japan’s private sector to deploy a satellite into orbit.
The incident occurred shortly after 11:00 a.m. local time (0200 GMT) at the launch site in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan. Multiple live streams from local media captured the dramatic scene, showing smoke and fire erupting following the takeoff of the 18-meter, four-stage solid-fuel rocket, according to news agency.
🚨Breaking 🚨
Japan’s Space One rocket exploded on lift-off before it could even reach the firmament. pic.twitter.com/y6cjPwMnhb
— THE FLAT EARTHER (@TheFlatEartherr) March 13, 2024