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| Function | Launch vehicle |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Space One |
| Country of origin | Japan |
| Size | |
| Height | 18 m (59 ft) |
| Diameter | 1.35 m (4 ft 5 in) |
| Mass | 23,000 kg (51,000 lb) |
| Stages | 4 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload toLEO | |
| Altitude | 500 km (310 mi) |
| Orbital inclination | 33° |
| Mass | 250 kg (550 lb) |
| Payload toSSO | |
| Altitude | 500 km (310 mi) |
| Orbital inclination | 97° |
| Mass | 150 kg (330 lb) |
| Associated rockets | |
| Comparable | Minotaur I Pegasus Electron Ceres-1 |
| Launch history | |
| Status | In development |
| Launch sites | Spaceport Kii |
| Total launches | 2 |
| Failure | 2 |
| First flight | 13 March 2024 |
| Last flight | 18 December 2024 (Active) |
TheKAIROS rocket (カイロスロケット), orKii-based Advanced & Instant Rocket System,[1] is a Japanesesolid-fuel rocket designed to launchsmall satellites of mass up to 250 kg tolow Earth orbit and up to 150 kg tosun-synchronous orbit by theprivate spaceflight companySpace One.[2] It consists of 3 solid fuel powered stages and a liquid propellant upper stage.
The namesake of the KAIROS rocket is the Greek wordKairos, which means the subjective 'right time' as contrasted withChronos which is the objective clock time. Kairos is also an alternate spelling of the name ofCaerus, the Greek deity of luck and opportunity.[3]
IHI Aerospace [ja] manufactures the KAIROS rocket at Tomioka Plant in the city ofTomioka,Gunma Prefecture.[4][5]
Launches are planned fromSpaceport Kii inKushimoto, Wakayama, Japan, a dedicated launch site built byShimizu Corporation.[6][7] This spaceport is accessible fromTokyo International Airport (Haneda Airport) viaNanki–Shirahama Airport in approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes, and fromKansai International Airport in approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes.[7]
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 theautonomous 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]
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 fourCubeSats and onemicrosatellite.[18]These satellites include payloads developed byTaiwan Space Agency,Space Cubics LLC,Terra Space Inc. andLagrapo, as well as an additional satellite owned by an unnamed customer.[19] The rocket began tumbling during 1st stage burn. The flight was terminated some time after.[20]
| Flight | Date (UTC) | Payload(s) | Outcome | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 March 2024, 02:01:12 | Rapid Launch Small Satellite | Failure | Vehicle automatically destroyed by itsFlight Termination System at T+5 seconds,[14] owing to lower vehicle thrust and speed than intended.[15] |
| 2 | 18 December 2024, 02:00:00 | TATARA-1 PARUS-T1A SC-Sat1 ISHIKI | Failure | Carried fourCubeSats and onemicrosatellite. Rocket tumbling was observed at T+95 seconds. Vehicle lost attitude control around the time of 1st stage separation.[21][20] |
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