The 18-metre, four-stage solid-fuel rocket exploded seconds after lifting off just after 11:01am, leaving behind a large cloud of smoke, fire, and fragments of the rocket.
Space One's 18-metre, four-state solid-fuel rocket Kairos exploded shortly after lifting off from Japan's Kii peninsula on Wednesday morning.
Viewers of local media live streams watched as firefighting water sprays activated near the launch pad, which was located on the tip of the mountainous Kii peninsula in western Japan.Space One said the flight was "interrupted" after the launch and it was investigating the situation. There was no immediate indication of what caused the explosion.
Kairos was carrying an experimental government satellite that could temporarily replace intelligence satellites in orbit if they fell offline. Although the company delayed Kairos's inaugural launch window four times, it said orders for its second and third planned trips have been filled, including by an overseas customer.
Rocket Lab has launched more than 40 Electron small rockets from New Zealand since 2017, at roughly $7 million per flight.
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