Wakayama, Mar 13 (News On Japan) - A rocket named "Kairos," developed by the private company Space One, was launched from Kushimoto Town, Wakayama Prefecture, on Wednesday morning, only to explode and catch fire shortly after takeoff.
Kairos exploded shortly after takeoff and a fire broke out near the launch site.
The rocket was initially scheduled for launch on March 9th, but it was postponed because ships remained in the maritime warning area.
The rocket was carrying a small satellite for the government, and it would have been the first successful orbit insertion at an altitude of 500 kilometers by a private entity in Japan if successful.