Japanese commercial rocket company Space One experienced a setback when its Kairos rocket was intentionally exploded shortly after liftoff during an attempt to put a satellite into orbit, Associated Press reports.
The explosion occurred just five seconds after liftoff, when the rocket experienced a problem that prompted its automated system to halt the launch. The cause of the explosion is under investigation, with Space One mentioning that a problem was detected during the second step of the launch process. No injuries were reported, and the fire was swiftly brought under control by local authorities.
The rocket was attempting to deploy a government-made satellite into orbit to gather various data, including monitoring potential threats from rocket launches by neighboring North Korea. Although the launch failed, Space One remains optimistic, emphasizing that space travel often involves failures before success.
