Japan Rocket Launch Canceled at Last Minute; Space One to Hold Press Conference

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:50 JST, March 4, 2026

Space One Co. announced the cancelation of the launch of its Kairos 3rd Flight rocket shortly before it was scheduled to lift off from Spaceport Kii in Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture, on Wednesday.

Space One was to hold a press conference on Wednesday afternoon to explain why the launch of the 18-meter-tall rocket was called off.

The Tokyo-based company had been making preparations for the launch at 11 a.m. on the day, before hastily making the announcement shortly after.

“A safety system activated 30 seconds before the launch. The fuselage is not broken,” a Space One official said.

The Kairos 3rd Flight was originally scheduled to take off on Feb. 25, but the launch was postponed twice due to bad weather. Space One said a new launch date will be announced once it is decided.

The third Kairos rocket will carry five small satellites, including ones belonging to private sector companies and a Taiwan space organization. If the satellites are put into orbit, it would be a first for a rocket developed solely by a private company in Japan.