Spaceport Kii
 | You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Japanese. (March 2024) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
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 Aerial photo of Spaceport Kii under construction (5 October 5 2019). | |||||||||||
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| Location | Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan | ||||||||||
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| Coordinates | 33°32′39″N 135°53′22″E / 33.5443°N 135.8895°E | ||||||||||
| Time zone | UTC+9 (JST) | ||||||||||
| Operator | Space One | ||||||||||
| Total launches | 1 | ||||||||||
| Launch pad(s) | 1 | ||||||||||
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Spaceport Kii (Japanese: スペースポート紀伊, sometimes stylized as Space Port Kii) is a commercial spaceport located in Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture in Japan. Japan's first private spaceport, it is operated by Space One, who are using it to launch their solid-fuel rocket KAIROS. As of 26 March 2024, only one launch attempt has been made on the site on 13 March, which ended up being a failure.[1][2]
Location and construction
[edit]Spaceport Kii is located near the southernmost tip of Honshu and is only a two-minute (1.9 kilometer) drive from Kii-Uragami Station in Nachikatsuura.
The launch site was funded by several Japanese corporations, including Canon Inc., Shimizu Corporation (who also constructed the site),[3] and IHI Corporation.[4] Ground broke on 19 November 2019.[3]
Launches
[edit]The first launch attempt of the KAIROS rocket was scheduled on 8 March 2024,[5] however it was delayed to the 13th due to a ship in too close of proximity.[6] It launched on the 13th, but disintegrated just seconds later.[1]
Space One has stated that it plans to have around 20 launches of KAIROS a year.[3][2]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Japan's Space One Kairos rocket explodes on inaugural flight". NBC News. 13 March 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ a b Foust, Jeff (13 March 2024). "First Kairos rocket explodes seconds after liftoff". SpaceNews. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ a b c Ltd, SPACE ONE Co. "SPACE ONE". SPACE ONE (in Japanese). Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ "Site planned for nuclear plant to host launch pad for small rockets | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis". The Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ "Japanese private-sector rocket to be launched Saturday | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News". NHK WORLD. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ "Japan Startup's Rocket Launch Halted Due to Ship in Hazard Area". Bloomberg.com. 9 March 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
External links
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