Key Facts
• A rocket developed by Taiwanese venture jtSPACE launched in Taiki, Hokkaido at 11:40 AM.
• Ten seconds after launch, the rocket’s second stage ignited but began to veer off course.
• The rocket fell to the ground and was found 600 meters away in a grassy area.
• The first stage of the rocket functioned properly, and the vehicle was recovered for investigation.
• Yoshinori Odagiri, CEO of Space Kotan, emphasized learning from this incident to address future challenges.
Summary
A rocket developed by Taiwanese startup jtSPACE was launched in Taiki, Hokkaido, at 11:40 AM. Shortly after ignition of its second stage, the rocket veered off course and fell to the ground. The debris was located 600 meters away in a grassy area. While the first stage operated successfully, the cause of the failure is under investigation. Yoshinori Odagiri, CEO of Space Kotan, which manages the launch site, expressed hopes for improvements based on this incident.
