A Japanese private aerospace company experienced another setback Thursday when its rocket mission was aborted shortly after takeoff, representing the third consecutive unsuccessful launch attempt.
Space One announced that its Kairos rocket was forced to end its flight prematurely after determining the mission could not be completed successfully. “Terminated the flight after judging that the achievement of its mission would be difficult… We are currently investigating the details,” the company stated.
The 59-foot solid-fuel rocket was transporting five experimental satellites from various organizations, including Japanese corporations and the Taiwan Space Agency.
The joint venture, which receives financial backing from major companies including optical electronics manufacturer Canon, aerospace corporation IHI, construction firm Shimizu and several banking institutions, had previously attempted two Kairos launches from its Pacific coastline facility in 2024, but both missions failed to successfully deliver their satellite payloads.
This latest failure prevents Japan from achieving what would have been its first completely commercial satellite deployment by a private company.
