Space One is hoping to become the nation’s first private firm to put a satellite into orbit, and the plan had been for Kairos — an ancient Greek word meaning “the right moment” — to do so around 51 minutes after take-off.Parts shortages and other problems had reportedly led Space One to postpone the launch of Kairos five times before Wednesday’s attempt, most recently on Saturday.Didn’t even imagineThe mayor of Kushimoto, the town of 15,000 residents in Wakayama where the failed launch took place, voiced his surprise and disappointment.”I didn’t even imagine an outcome like this,” Katsumasa Tashima told reporters shortly after the explosion.But the town “will continue to support Space One, and we want to continue to offer our help so that the first rocket will have a successful launch”, he said.Space One was established in 2018 by a team of major Japanese tech businesses, including Canon Electronics, IHI Aerospace, construction firm Shimizu and the government-owned Development Bank of Japan.Last July, another Japanese rocket engine exploded during a test around 50 seconds after ignition.
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