Third launch failure hits Japanese space startup

A Japanese startup’s third attempt to put a satellite into orbit failed on Thursday after its rocket spiralled back to Earth shortly after lift-off.

Space One, aiming to become the first private Japanese company to launch a satellite into space, said the cause of the failure is “under investigation”.

Television footage showed the Kairos rocket blasting off from the coastal Wakayama region at 11:10 am (0210 GMT), soaring into a clear blue sky.

Shortly afterwards, the slim, white 18-metre (60-foot) rocket appeared to lose power and began spinning back downwards.

“We determined that mission success was difficult and implemented flight termination measures,” Space One, based in Tokyo, posted on X. The rocket’s landing site was unclear.

The rocket was carrying several satellites, including one for a high school in Tokyo, the company said.

Space One’s first launch attempt ended in spectacular failure in March 2024 when its solid-fuel rocket exploded seconds after lift-off. A second attempt initially went well but was terminated after the rocket began spiralling downwards due to a technical issue. The latest launch had originally been scheduled for Wednesday but was cancelled just 28.9 seconds before lift-off due to another glitch.

Moon landing ambitions

Companies like Space One aim to offer cheaper and more frequent space exploration opportunities than government agencies. The startup hopes to establish a satellite-launch service to meet growing global demand, emulating Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which holds contracts with NASA and the Pentagon.

Space One was founded in 2018 by a consortium including Canon Electronics, IHI Aerospace, construction firm Shimizu Corporation, and the government-run Development Bank of Japan.

The national Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency is also seeking to become a major player in satellite launches. JAXA’s next-generation H3 launch system suffered multiple failed takeoff attempts before a successful launch in February 2024. However, in December, Japan’s flagship H3 rocket failed to place a geolocation satellite into orbit due to engine failure.

In 2024, JAXA achieved a Moon landing with its unmanned probe, the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), nicknamed the “Moon Sniper” for its precision, becoming the fifth country to achieve a soft landing. The probe, however, landed at a slight angle but continued to send intermittent signals for months.

Last year, Japan’s ispace failed in its attempt to become the third private firm — and the first outside the United States — to achieve a controlled lunar landing. Contact with its unmanned Resilience craft was lost during its final descent, and the probe is believed to have crash-landed on the moon.