Japan's Space One Kairos rocket explodes on inaugural flight
TOKYO, March 13 (Reuters) - Kairos, a small, solid-fuelled rocket made by Japan's Space One, exploded shortly after its inaugural launch on Wednesday as the firm tried to become the first Japanese company to put a satellite in orbit.
The 18-metre (59 ft) solid-fuel rocket exploded seconds after lifting off at 11:01 a.m. (0201 GMT), leaving behind a large cloud of smoke, a fire, fragments of the rocket and firefighting water sprays near the launch pad, visible on local media livestreams.