A Kairos rocket is launched at Spaceport Kii in Kushimoto Town, Wakayama Prefecture, March 5, 2026. /VCG
A Japanese startup’s third try and put a satellite tv for pc in orbit failed on Thursday after its rocket spiraled again to Earth shortly after takeoff.
Space One, hoping to turn into the primary personal Japanese agency to place a satellite tv for pc in area, mentioned that what went improper was “under investigation.”
TV footage confirmed the Kairos rocket blasting off from the launch web site within the coastal Wakayama area of western Japan at 11:10 a.m. (0210 GMT) up into the blue sky.
But shortly afterwards, the slim, white 18-meter rocket appeared to expire of energy and head again downwards in a spin.
It was unclear the place it landed.
The Kairos rocket earlier than its launch at Spaceport Kii in Kushimoto Town, Wakayama Prefecture, March 5, 2026. /VCG
Tokyo-based Space One informed a press convention that “no major anomalies” had been recognized throughout the plane itself and the rocket had not deviated from its flight path.
“So it seems reasonable to assume that some issue occurred within the flight interruption system,” the agency mentioned, referring to a security mechanism able to routinely ending the flight.
The rocket was carrying a number of satellites, together with one for a highschool in Tokyo, based on the agency.
The firm’s first launch try led to spectacular failure in March 2024 when the solid-fuel rocket exploded seconds after liftoff.
A second strive began off higher just for the rocket to immediately spiral downwards after engineers terminated the operation due to a technical downside.
The newest launch had been slated to occur on Wednesday, solely to be cancelled on account of one other glitch simply 28.9 seconds earlier than liftoff.
Source: CGTN