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Japan Startup's Space Rocket Fails for Third Time
Space One's Kairos rocket failed its third launch due to underperformance and control system failures, aborting the mission and preventing satellite deployment, the company said.
- On March 4, 2026, the third Space One Co. Kairos launch failed shortly after liftoff, and payloads were not deployed, aborting about three minutes into flight from Spaceport Kii.
- Space One said it detected midair performance anomalies and blamed first-stage motor and thrust vector control failures, activating the flight-termination system.
- About 70 seconds after liftoff, an energetic event was visible in the plume and fragments, including one large tumbling piece, appeared from Kairos, the 18-meter, three-stage rocket.
- The setback puts Space One's defense contract and commercial ambitions under scrutiny, raising questions about the future viability of Kairos and Space One among backers including Canon Electronics Inc. and IHI Aerospace Co., who invested in the program with Space BD and Japan Ministry of Defense.
- The launch window runs through March 25 and a new date will be set later; this failure adds to setbacks in Japan's launch industry, including issues with Epsilon and JAXA procurement decisions.
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Kairos, an 18-meter solid-fuel rocket, had five experimental satellites on board.
The Japanese start-up Space One suffered a third failure on Thursday after having to interrupt the launch of its space rocket.
·Montreal, Canada
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The Japanese start-up Space One, which aims to become the country's first private company to place a satellite in orbit, announced on Thursday that it had had to stop launching its space rocket a few seconds after take-off.
·Paris, France
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources20
Leaning Left4Leaning Right5Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution36% Center, 36% Right
Bias Distribution
- 36% of the sources are Center, 36% of the sources lean Right
36% Right
L 28%
C 36%
R 36%
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