TOKYO — A rocket launched by the Japanese startup Space One exploded just five seconds after liftoff on Wednesday, raining debris over the launch site on the Kii Peninsula in a dramatic fireball caught on camera.
The rocket, called Kairos, was carrying a small experimental satellite for the Japanese government when its flight was abruptly terminated due to an unspecified issue detected by the automated self-destruct system. Plumes of smoke billowed over the launch complex as flaming wreckage fell back toward the pad.
Video footage showed the 59-foot rocket lifting off normally before abruptly exploding in a blinding flash just a few seconds into its ascent. The self-destruct mechanism had detected a problem that would prevent the mission from succeeding safely, triggering the explosive termination as a protective measure.
“The rocket terminated the flight after judging that the achievement of its mission would be difficult,” said Masakazu Toyoda, the president of Space One, at a news conference after the incident. Despite the dramatic failure, Mr. Toyoda remained upbeat. “We are taking what happened in a positive way and remain prepared to take up the next challenge.”
There were no reports of injuries from the fiery mishap, which Space One said it would investigate thoroughly. Fire crews managed to extinguish the blaze on the launch pad after the explosion. The cause of the problem that led to the self-destruct command is not yet known.
The experimental satellite lost in the explosion was intended for the Japanese government to test technology that could monitor potential threats such as North Korean missile launches. Part of its mission involved demonstrating capabilities that could temporarily replace Japan’s existing intelligence satellites if they ran into problems.
For Space One, the failed launch represented a significant setback in its quest to become Japan’s first privately funded company to successfully place a satellite into orbit using its own rocket. The startup had hoped the launch this week would pave the way for commercial satellite delivery services in the future.
While several larger Japanese companies like Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have extensive experience with rocket launches, Space One is among a crop of newer private space firms aiming to provide cheaper, more frequent access to orbit.
The company, founded in 2018 and based in Tokyo, has raised over $25 million from investors backing its vision of expanding into space travel and tourism over time. But like many space startups, executing a debut orbital launch proved extremely challenging.
Launches by new rocket providers frequently experience delays and failures before achieving success. Space One had initially aimed to launch the Kairos rocket last Saturday before having to postpone due to a ship that wandered into restricted waters off the launch site.
Mr. Toyoda tried to frame Wednesday’s explosive incident as just another hurdle to overcome, saying “We don’t use the word ‘failure,’ because each trial brings us new data and experience for another challenge.”
“Space travel takes multiple failures before success,” he added.
Still, the devastating fireball witnessed by many observers was a potent illustration of the risks inherent in orbital rocket launches, even ones intended to travel to relatively low altitudes to deploy small satellites.
As an increasing number of companies join the commercial space race alongside established players like SpaceX, launch failures like this will continue occurring periodically as growing pains. But the implications are serious given the costs and safety concerns.
While most launch providers take precautions with automated self-destruct systems to avoid threats to life or property from out-of-control rockets, the recent incident in Japan highlights the dangers.
For its part, Space One says it remains committed to learning from this experience and working toward successfully launching its next Kairos rocket, though no timeline was given. With a long road ahead, the Tokyo startup must now regroup and apply any lessons from the dramatic fireball over the Pacific on the path to potentially becoming Japan’s first private orbital rocket company.
