Following takeoff, Japan’s Space One rocket explodes

The first effort by the nation’s private sector to send a satellite into orbit was unsuccessful on Wednesday when the Japanese firm Space One’s Kairos rocket burst seconds after takeoff.

Following the 18-meter, four-stage solid-fuel rocket’s takeoff, smoke and flames were seen at the launch site in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, just after 11:00 a.m. local time (0200 GMT), according to numerous local media live feeds, according to Xinhua news agency.