Kii Space Port Launch Services

Kii Space Port is Japan’s first private commercial orbital launch facility, owned and operated by Space One Corporation on the Kii Peninsula in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture. The site was selected for its direct ocean access to the south — enabling KAIROS rocket launches to sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) over the Pacific without overflying populated areas on the southbound trajectory.

Kii Space Port’s facilities include a vehicle assembly building, launch pad with umbilical tower and flame trench, launch control center, tracking and telemetry station, and all logistics infrastructure for payload integration and vehicle preparation. The pad is specifically designed for KAIROS — Space One’s 18 m, four-stage solid rocket capable of carrying approximately 250 kg to SSO at 500 km.

Space One was established in 2018 as a joint venture between Canon Electronics, IHI Aerospace, Shimizu Corporation, and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s associated entities). KAIROS’s inaugural launch from Kii Space Port in March 2024 ended in a vehicle malfunction shortly after liftoff, but demonstrated the complete launch infrastructure from the site. Space One is targeting 20 launches per year from Kii once the KAIROS vehicle is operational.