KAIROS Inches Closer to Orbit With Failed Second Launch

Japanese launch company Space One launched its second KAIROS vehicle at 11:00 am Japan Standard Time (02:00 am Universal Coordinated Time) from Spaceport Kii.

KAIROS' second flight appeared to be going well throughout liftoff and the first-stage burn however around the time of separation of the first and second stages the vehicle was observed tumbling. According to Space One, KAIROS experienced an anomaly around eighty seconds into flight, with flight terminated after three minutes once the rocket clearly left its flight path.

Following the failed launch, Space One held a press conference where the company's President and Cheif Executive Officer, Masakazu Toyoda, said:

“We apologize to our customers and those involved in the launch for the failure to achieve the mission to the end, and we are very sorry that we did not meet the expectations of everyone who supported us,” – “We will quickly investigate the cause of this outcome and clarify measures to prevent a recurrence,” – “We do not consider this incident a failure,” – “The data and experience gained from this event are extremely valuable.”

Five payloads were riding atop of KAIROS for its second mission, four being 3U CubeSats, and were:

• TATARA-1: a 50-kilogram satellite hosting various technology demonstrations from Terra Space.
• SC-Sat1: a 3U CubeSat for testing an independently developed spacecraft computer from Space Cubics.
• PARUS-T1A: a 3U CubeSat for testing technologies for a remote sensing and communications constellation developed by Pyras Technology and the Taiwan Space Agency.
• ISHIKI: a 3U CubeSat developed by Hiroo Gakuen Hgh School (広尾学園 中学校 高等学校) in Tokyo with assistance from LAGRAPO.

The fifth payload is undisclosed at the time of writing.

This mission was the second launch from Spaceport Kii (スペースポート紀伊), located near Kushimoto (串本) in the Wakayama Prefecture (和歌山). The first mission was the debut flight of KAIROS back in March.

The first flight of KAIROS was terminated five seconds into flight by the autonomous flight termination system after the vehicle's speed and thrust were lower than expected.

Spaceport Kii started construction in 2019 and was completed in 2021. The location of the spaceport allows the rocket to reach inclinations as high as 33 degrees and as low as 97 degrees.

Space One has a launchpad and integration facilities at the spaceport, this includes a moving vertical integration building and a larger integration building. The vertical integration building is believed to be for stacking the rocket prior to launch, with the larger one likely being for spacecraft encapsulation and attachment to the fourth-stage.

Back in March, ahead of the first flight, Japan's Ministry of Defense signed a contract with Space One to develop an improved version of KAIROS. This improved version will stretch the third-stage and likely have an engine that burns liquid methane and liquid oxygen. The stated reason for the contract is to increase the domestic carrying capacity of Japanese rockets to help launch various constellations in a variety of orbits.

What is KAIROS?

KAIROS (カイロスロケット), or Kii-based Advanced & Instant ROcket System, is a four-stage launch vehicle developed by Space One in Japan. The specifics of each stage is not known publically, but the first three stages are solid fuelled with the fourth being a liquid propellant rocket stage.

The rocket is capable of delivering 250 kilograms to a 500-kilometer low Earth orbit or 150 kilograms to a 500-kilometer low Earth orbit.

KAIROS' stages are 1.35 meters in diameter with its fairing being 1.5 meters in diameter. The rocket is 18 meters tall on the launch pad and weighs approximately 23,000 kilograms when fully fuelled.

Who is Space One?

Space One is a commercial launch provider headquartered in Japan and founded in July 2018. The company is aiming to offer the shortest time from contract signing to launch as well as frequent launches. In addition, they are believed to be aiming for twenty launches per year by the 'mid-2020s'.

Space One's Chief Executive Officer and President is Masakazu Toyoda (豊田正和), the company currently has the following shareholders: CANON ELECTRONICS Co LTD, IHI AEROSPACE Co Ltd, Shimizu Corporation, Development Bank of Japan Inc, The Kiyo Bank Ltd, K4 Ventures GK, Taiyo Group Co Ltd, MUFG Bank Ltd, Azuma House Co Ltd, and Okuwa Co Ltd.