Japan: New postponement of a launch attempt for a private rocket

The Space One company, which is trying to become the first private Japanese company to put a satellite into orbit, postponed a takeoff attempt for the second day in a row on Sunday, local media announced, after a first failure in March.

On Saturday, Space One managers cited too strong winds at altitude to justify the first postponement.

On Sunday, they could not immediately be reached by AFP as Space One’s Kairos rocket was due to take off from the Wakayama launch pad, in the west of the country, at 11:00 a.m. (03:00 a.m. Swiss time ).

Cheaper space exploration opportunities

This mission aims to revive Japan’s ambition to play a greater role in the global space launch services market.

Private companies offer cheaper and more frequent space exploration opportunities than government programs, and Space One hopes to emulate Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which has contracts with NASA and the Pentagon.

In March, the Kairos solid-fuel rocket, then carrying a government test satellite, took off for the first time. But seconds later, technical problems forced engineers to destroy the 18-meter-high rocket.

The inaugural mission postponed five times

This time, the rocket is to carry five satellites, including one from the Taiwan Space Agency and others designed by Japanese students and companies.

This start-up was founded in 2018 by a consortium of Japanese companies including Canon Electronics, IHI Aerospace and the Shimizu construction group, as well as the Development Bank of Japan, a state financial institution.

Space One had already had to postpone its inaugural mission five times, having notably experienced difficulties in supplying parts due to the Covid-19 pandemic and then due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Setbacks before a successful takeoff in February

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa) also aims to become a major player in satellite launches.

The Jaxa’s new generation H3 launch system also experienced setbacks before a successful takeoff in February.

Also this year, Japan landed an unmanned probe on the Moon, becoming only the fifth country to successfully land on the lunar surface.

But in early December, Jaxa announced it was delaying its launch program for its Epsilon S compact solid-fuel rocket after a recent engine test caused a major fire.

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