A small Japanese rocket exploded shortly after launch in a blow to Tokyo-based startup Space One’s attempt to become the first local company to put a satellite into orbit.
The 18-meter (60-foot), four-stage solid-fuel rocket called Kairos exploded into pieces seconds after liftoff at 11.01am on Tuesday.
Space One said the flight was “interrupted” after the launch from the mountainous Kii peninsula in western Japan and was investigating the situation.
There was no immediate indication of what caused the explosion, or whether there were any injuries . Space One has said, “the launch was highly automated and required only about a dozen staff at the ground control center”.
Kairos carried an experimental government satellite capable of temporarily replacing intelligence satellites if they malfunctioned and was supposed to have put it into orbit about 51 minutes after the launch.
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