Wikipedia

Space One KAIROS

The KAIROS rocket (カイロスロケット), or Kii-based Advanced & Instant Rocket System,[1] is a Japanese solid-fuel rocket designed to launch small satellites of mass up to 250 kg to low Earth orbit and up to 150 kg to sun-synchronous orbit by the private spaceflight company Space One.[2] It consists of three solid fuel powered stages and a liquid propellant upper stage.

KAIROS (Kii-based Advanced & Instant Rocket System)
FunctionLaunch vehicle
ManufacturerSpace One
Country of originJapan
Size
Height18 m (59 ft)
Diameter1.35 m (4 ft 5 in)
Mass23,000 kg (51,000 lb)
Stages4
Capacity
Payload to LEO
Altitude500 km (310 mi)
Orbital inclination33°
Mass250 kg (550 lb)
Payload to SSO
Altitude500 km (310 mi)
Orbital inclination97°
Mass150 kg (330 lb)
Associated rockets
ComparableMinotaur I
Pegasus
Electron
Ceres-1
Launch history
StatusIn development
Launch sitesSpaceport Kii
Total launches3
Success(es)0
Failure3
First flight13 March 2024
Last flight5 March 2026
[edit on Wikidata]

Namesake

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The namesake of the KAIROS rocket is the Greek word Kairos, which means the subjective 'right time' as contrasted with Chronos which is the objective clock time. Kairos is also an alternate spelling of the name of Caerus, the Greek deity of luck and opportunity.[3]

Manufacture

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IHI Aerospace [ja] manufactures the KAIROS rocket at Tomioka Plant in the city of Tomioka, Gunma Prefecture.[4][5]

IHI Aerospace Tomioka Plant (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan)

Launches

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Launch site

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Launches are planned from Spaceport Kii in Kushimoto, Wakayama, Japan, a dedicated launch site built by Shimizu Corporation.[6][7] This spaceport is accessible from Tokyo International Airport (Haneda Airport) via Nanki–Shirahama Airport in approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes, and from Kansai International Airport in approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes.[7]

First launch

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The first launch was planned on 9 March 2024[8] but was postponed because a ship was spotted in the "maritime warning area" set up in waters near the launch pad.[9][10][11] The launch eventually took place on 13 March 2024, but the vehicle exploded five seconds after liftoff.[12] The remains of the rocket and payload fell close to the launch pad, but no substantial damage was found.[13] Space One announced several hours later that the autonomous flight termination system could have activated and ended the mission.[14] On 25 August 2024, the company's director confirmed that a destruct command was issued on the rocket. The AFTS detected a speed and level of thrust on the first stage that was lower than was modeled. Because this was the first rocket launch in Japan that used a flight safety system capable of intervening in a launch without human involvement, the destruct criteria were set to be particularly conservative.[15]

Second flight

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The second flight took place on 18 December 2024, which was canceled because of a failed rocket shortly after launch.[16][17] The mission was planned to carry five satellites, including four CubeSats and one microsatellite.[18] These satellites include payloads developed by Taiwan Space Agency, Space Cubics LLC, Terra Space Inc. and Lagrapo, as well as an additional satellite owned by an unnamed customer.[19] The rocket began tumbling during first stage burn. The flight was terminated some time after.[20]

Third flight

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The third flight of KAIROS took place on March 4, 2026, lifting off from Spaceport Kii at 9:10pm but was also unsuccessful with flight termination measures being implemented at around 70 seconds after liftoff.[21] With this third failure the commercial viability of Space One was thrown into doubt as Japan seeks to increase its domestic launch industry.[22][23]

List of launches

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See also

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References

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  1. ↑ "スペースワンの「カイロスロケット初号機」、3/9にスペースポート紀伊より打上げ" [Space One's "Kairos Rocket No. 1" to be launched from Spaceport Kii on March 9th]. SPACE Media (in Japanese). 2024-01-29. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  2. ↑ "Launch Vehicle". Space One. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  3. ↑ Thompson, Gary (2012). "Electronic Kairos". Cybercultures. At the Interface / Probing the Boundaries. Vol. 83. pp. 1–13. doi:10.1163/9789401208536_002. ISBN 9789401208536.
  4. ↑ "IHI AEROSPACE Co., Ltd. Company Profile". IHI AEROSPACE Co., Ltd. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  5. ↑ "日本初の民間ロケット発射場、なぜ本州最南端に" [Why Japan's first private rocket launch site is located at the southernmost tip of Honshu]. Nikkei Business Online (in Japanese). 21 November 2019. Retrieved 2024-03-09.
  6. ↑ "【スペースポート紀伊】日本初！民間企業が建設 ロケット打ち上げ射場 起工式を開催 スペースワン" [[Spaceport Kii] Japan's first! Groundbreaking ceremony held for rocket launch site built by private company Space One]. Construction News Digital (in Japanese). 2019-11-19. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  7. 1 2 "Spaceport Kii". Space One. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  8. ↑ "Announcement of the KAIROS Rocket's First Launch Schedule" (PDF). Space One. 2024-01-26. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  9. ↑ "Rocket launch by private Japanese firm Space One postponed". Kyodo News. 2024-03-09. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  10. ↑ "スペースワンの小型ロケット、13日に打ち上げ再設定" [Space One's small rocket rescheduled for launch on the 13th]. Nikkei (in Japanese). 2024-03-11. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  11. ↑ "Japan private firm reschedules rocket launch for Wednesday". NHK WORLD. 2024-03-11. Archived from the original on 2024-03-11. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  12. ↑ "Moment Japan's Space One rocket explodes". YouTube. 12 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  13. ↑ Foust, Jeff (2024-03-13). "First Kairos rocket explodes seconds after liftoff". SpaceNews. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  14. 1 2 "スペースワンの小型ロケット「カイロス」爆発、打ち上げ直後に" [Space One's Kairos rocket explodes shortly after launch]. Nikkei (in Japanese). 2024-03-13. Retrieved 2024-03-13.
  15. 1 2 Necovideo Visual Solutions [@nvslive] (25 August 2024). "宇宙シンポジウムin串本のスペースワン取締役の遠藤氏の講演にてカイロスロケット初号機の失敗原因は、1段目の推力が低く、速度が不足していたため、自律飛行安全システムが稼働したことが原因と判明。・初号機では燃焼速度を実際より高めに予測していた・自律飛行安全システムを初適応ということで、飛行正常範囲を厳しく設定していた。" [During a presentation by Mr. Endo, a Director at Space One, at the Space Symposium in Kushimoto, it was revealed that the failure of the first Kairos rocket was caused by the activation of the Autonomous Flight Safety System; this activation occurred because the first-stage thrust was insufficient, resulting in a lack of velocity. Specifically: (1) For the inaugural flight, the burn rate had been projected to be higher than it actually was; and (2) given that this marked the first-ever implementation of the Autonomous Flight Safety System, the parameters defining the normal flight envelope had been set with extreme strictness.] (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved 4 December 2024 – via X (formerly Twitter).
  16. ↑ "Japan's Space One says Kairos rocket flight terminated after liftoff". Reuters. 2024-12-18. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  17. ↑ "SPACE ONE". SPACE ONE (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-12-14.
  18. ↑ "Press Release: Upcoming Launch: KAIROS 2nd Flight". space-one.co.jp. 2024-10-09. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
  19. ↑ "Press Release: SPACE ONE signs Launch Services Agreement with multiple customers for KAIROS 2nd Flight". space-one.co.jp. 2024-11-12. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
  20. 1 2 Komiya, Kantaro (December 17, 2024). "Japan's Space One Kairos rocket fails minutes after liftoff". Reuters. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  21. 1 2 Wall, Mike (4 March 2026). "Japan's private Space One Kairos rocket explodes after launch failure during 3rd test flight". Space.com. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
  22. ↑ Foust, Jeff. "Third Kairos launch fails". SpaceNews. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
  23. ↑ Komiya, Kantaro. "Space One's third rocket failure leaves Japan without commercial launch capability". Reuters. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
  24. ↑ "KAIROS | Flight 2". nextspaceflight.com. Retrieved 2024-12-18.
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