Japanese launch startup Space One Co said its Kairos rocket mission ended unsuccessfully on Thursday after the vehicle aborted flight during ascent shortly after liftoff.
The third unit of the Kairos rocket lifted off at around 11:10 a.m. local time from Space Port Kii in Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture.
The company said the rocket terminated its flight after determining that completing the mission would be difficult. An investigation into the cause of the incident is currently underway.
The launch had originally been scheduled for Wednesday but was called off shortly before liftoff.
The 18-metre, 23-tonne solid-fuel rocket was carrying five satellites that were intended to separate and enter orbit about 50 minutes after launch at an altitude of around 500 kilometres.
The mission marks the third unsuccessful launch attempt for the Kairos rocket. The first vehicle exploded approximately five seconds after liftoff in March 2024 due to an error in thrust prediction.
A second launch later that year also failed after the rocket triggered a self-destruction sequence following an altitude control problem.
Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Tokyo, Space One is developing small launch vehicles designed to deploy satellites into low Earth orbit.
