Introduction

In a disappointing turn of events for the Japanese aerospace industry, the second test flight of the Kairos small launch vehicle ended in failure shortly after its launch on December 17. Liftoff occurred at 9 p.m. Eastern from Spaceport Kii, located in southern Honshu, Japan, following postponements due to unfavorable weather on December 13 and 14.

Launch Details

Initially, everything seemed to be progressing smoothly as the solid-fuel rocket ascended into the evening sky. However, just two minutes post-launch, the rocket lost attitude control, leading to a dramatic tumbler-like descent characterized by a chaotic corkscrew contrail. Video feeds captured the alarming visuals, raising concerns among onlookers.

Company's Response

Space One, the company behind the Kairos rocket, confirmed the mission's failure but refrained from providing in-depth details regarding the incident. In an apologetic statement, they expressed remorse towards their customers and supporters for falling short of expectations, and committed to a thorough investigation to pinpoint the cause of the anomaly.

Speculations on Failure

Local news sources have suggested that the failure may stem from issues related to the nozzle of the rocket's first stage or potential malfunctions in its attitude control system. This incident marks a troubling continuation of setbacks for Space One, as it follows the inaugural flight of the Kairos rocket just nine months prior, which ended catastrophically with the vehicle exploding mere seconds after takeoff. That failure prompted investigations into the rocket's autonomous flight termination safety systems.

Payload Information

The Kairos rocket was tasked with deploying five small satellites commissioned by the Taiwan Space Agency and Japanese companies Lagrapo, Space Cubics, and Terra Space, along with an undisclosed customer.

Technical Specifications

As Space One strives to establish itself in the competitive small launch market, they emphasize that the Kairos rocket, equipped with three solid-fuel stages followed by a liquid-propellant kick stage, is engineered to carry payloads of up to 150 kilograms into sun-synchronous orbits and 250 kilograms into a 500-kilometer orbit with a 33-degree inclination.

Wider Context and Future Outlook

This recent failure aligns with another setback encountered by the Japanese space sector; a static-fire test of a solid rocket motor for the Epsilon S rocket resulted in an explosion on November 25 at a facility operated by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The disastrous event unfolded just 49 seconds into what was meant to be a two-minute burn. This followed a similar explosion during a July 2023 test. Consequently, JAXA has delayed the first launch of the Epsilon S, an upgraded version of its predecessor, which is now not expected to launch until at least March 2025.

Conclusion

With such challenges mounting, the future of small satellite launches in Japan hangs in the balance as Space One and its contemporaries scramble to address these failures and regain the trust of customers and stakeholders alike. Will we see a turnaround soon, or does Japan's small launch market face further turbulence ahead? Stay tuned for more developments!