Wakayama, Mar 10 (News On Japan) - The historic launch of a private rocket in southern Japan was postponed Saturday due to a ship remaining in the designated safety zone before take-off.
SpaceOne's Executive Officer, Kozo Abe, explained the situation: "With just 10 minutes to go before the launch, a ship was still lingering in the safety zone, forcing us to call off the launch."
At a private launch site in Kushimoto Town, Wakayama Prefecture, the rocket "Kairos" was scheduled to take off shortly after 11 a.m. on March 9th. However, the launch had to be postponed at the last minute.
The operating company revealed at a press conference that the launch was delayed because there was no clear plan to move the lingering ships out of the safety zone.
Fortunately, there were no issues with the rocket itself.
A disappointed mother shared her thoughts: "It's quite disappointing. We were expecting it to fly."
A boy reflected on the experience: "I learned for the first time how difficult it is to launch a rocket."
A girl expressed her anticipation: "I'm looking forward to the next launch."
The operating company has announced that they are planning the next launch for sometime after March 13th.
Related story: Kushimoto Prepares for Historic Rocket Launch
Source: ANN