Japanese Private Rocket Crashes into Flames

July 1, 2018

Taiki, Hokkaido Pref.- A small observation rocket of a Japanese startup crashed into flames right after the liftoff on Saturday, failing to become the first privately developed rocket in Japan to reach outer space.

In the accident, no one was injured.

The rocket, MOMO-2, was blasted off at a launch site in Taiki in the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido at 5:30 a.m. (8:30 p.m. GMT Friday) but lost thrust four seconds after the main engine was ignited, Takahiro Inagawa, president of Interstellar Technologies Inc., the developer, told a press conference.

Inagawa suggested the possibility of engine trouble, saying, "Such a phenomenon has never been observed in ground combustion experiments."

Inagawa said the company has yet to decide what to do next.

Meanwhile, Takafumi Horie, a high-profile entrepreneur and the founder of Interstellar Technologies, said at the same news conference that he will step up support for the company so it can "fully concentrate on" improving the rocket for a successful launch.

Interstellar Technologies attempted to send the MOMO-1 into space on July 30 last year. But the rocket was able to reach an altitude of only some 20 kilometers because communication was lost 66 seconds after the launch and the engine was shut off.

The MOMO-2, which had a reinforced body structure and an improved control system, was initially set to be lifted off in April this year. But the launch was postponed due to a mechanical problem.

The ethanol-propelled MOMO rocket measures 10 meters in length and 50 centimeters in diameter and weighs 1,150 kilograms.

The space business startup aims to commercialize low-cost rocket launch services for scientific projects and microsatellite developers. Jiji Press