Failure to launch: Japan’s Space One aborts Kairos flight after lift-off
South China Morning Post
by ReutersMarch 5, 2026
Japan’s Space One said its Kairos rocket terminated its flight after lift-off on Thursday, failing to achieve the country’s first entirely commercial satellite launch on its third attempt in a row.
The setback dealt a fresh blow to Japan’s efforts to establish a domestic launch industry and reduce its reliance on foreign rockets amid rising space-security needs to counter China.
Kairos “terminated the flight after judging that the achievement of its mission would be difficult,” the company said...
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Originally published on South China Morning Post on 3/5/2026