Space One postponed this Sunday, for the second day in a row, its attempt to become the first private Japanese company to put a satellite into orbit, after an initial failure in March, according to the Japanese press.
Space One’s Kairos rocket should have departed from the Wakayama launch ramp, in the west of the country, at 11 am (2 am in Lisbon).
The attempt had already been postponed on Saturday for 24 hours, citing unfavorable weather conditions.
“During the final process before launch, we considered that the wind speed above an altitude of 10 kilometers was not suitable for launch,” said Space One director Kozo Abe.
A success would relaunch Japan’s ambition to play a greater role in the global market for space launch services.
Private companies offer cheaper space exploration opportunities than government programs.
Space One hopes to imitate Elon Musk’s North American SpaceX, which has contracts with the United States aerospace agency, NASA, and with North American Defense, the Pentagon.
The rocket will carry five satellites, one of which is from the Taiwanese space agency.
Space One was founded in 2018 by a consortium of Japanese companies, including Canon Electronics, IHI Aerospace, construction company Shimizu and the Development Bank of Japan, a state-owned financial institution.
This year, Japan placed an unmanned probe on the Moon, becoming the fifth country to achieve a controlled landing on the lunar surface.
Source: https://observador.pt/2024/12/15/japonesa-space-one-volta-a-adiar-tentativa-de-colocar-satelites-em-orbita/
