Space One's four-stage solid/liquid commercial small launch vehicle — Japan's first domestically developed private orbital rocket.
KAIROS
Space One's four-stage solid/liquid commercial small launch vehicle — Japan's first domestically developed private orbital rocket.
Description
KAIROS is a small orbital launch vehicle developed by Space One Co., Ltd., a Japanese commercial launch startup backed by Canon Electronics, IHI Aerospace, Shimizu Corporation, and Development Bank of Japan. The four-stage vehicle uses solid propellant on stages 1–3 and a liquid upper stage, targeting 250 kg to SSO from Space One's private Kii Spaceport in Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture — the first private launch site licensed for orbital rockets in Japan.
KAIROS made its first launch attempt on March 13, 2024 from the Kii Spaceport, but experienced an anomaly and was automatically terminated by the flight safety system approximately 5 seconds after liftoff. Space One is investigating the failure and preparing for a second launch attempt. The vehicle represents Japan's commercial launch ambitions and aims to compete with global small satellite launch providers for the growing Asia-Pacific smallsat market.
Space One targets a launch cadence of 20 missions per year once operations are mature, positioning the Kii Spaceport as a dedicated commercial orbital launch site.
Specifications
| Stages | 4 (3 solid + 1 liquid) |
|---|---|
| Payload to SSO | ~250 kg |
| Launch site | Kii Spaceport, Kushimoto, Wakayama, Japan (private) |
| First attempt | March 13, 2024 (anomaly at T+5s) |
| Operators | Space One Co., Ltd. (Canon Electronics, IHI Aerospace) |
