TOKYO – Japanese startup Space One Co launched a small rocket on Thursday in western Japan, but the mission failed on its third attempt in a row.
The No 3 unit of the company’s Kairos rocket was launched at around 11:10 am local time from the privately run Space Port Kii in Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture, but terminated its flight during ascent, resulting in another launch failure following two launches in 2024.
Space One said in a statement that Kairos aborted the flight after judging that the achievement of its mission would be difficult, and it is currently investigating the details of the incident.
The launch had been previously scheduled for Wednesday, but it was canceled shortly before liftoff.
The 18-meter, 23-ton solid-fuel rocket was loaded with five satellites, which were to be detached and put into orbit about 50 minutes after liftoff, at an altitude of roughly 500 kilometers.
Founded in 2018, the Tokyo-based company has failed twice in its attempt to launch a rocket. The first Kairo rocket exploded about five seconds after liftoff in March 2024 due to an error in thrust prediction, and the flight of the second unit later that year ended in self-destruction following an altitude control problem.