1 / 8A huge plume of smoke engulfed the skies after a commercial rocket trying to put a satellite into orbit was intentionally exploded shortly after liftoff on March 13 morning in central Japan following a problem that's still under investigation. (Image: AP)
2 / 8Online video showed Space One's Kairos rocket blasting off in a mountainous area filled with trees then exploding five seconds later. Video also showed flames shot up in some spots and spurts of water were seen trying to put out the blaze. (Image: AP)
3 / 8Space One was aiming to be Japan's first private sector success at putting a satellite into orbit, the Associated Press (AP) reported. (Image: AP)
4 / 8Live footage on public broadcaster NHK showed debris scattering from the sky and later charred pieces were shown strewn about on the ground. No injuries were reported and the fire was brought under control, according to the fire department for Kushimoto city in Wakayama prefecture. (Image: AP)
5 / 8The launch was halted five seconds after liftoff but the problem that was detected by the rocket's automated system was unclear and still under investigation, according to Space One. It occurred during step two of the launch, with the first step being liftoff, and all the pieces of the rocket landed on Space One’s property, AP quoted the company. (Image: AP)
6 / 8The rocket was supposed to have sent a government-made satellite into orbit around Earth to gather various information, including monitoring possible dangers from rocket launches from neighboring North Korea. But one of its main purposes was for Japan to play catch-up as rocket launches here have fallen behind that of the US and China. The launch has been delayed several times. (Image: AP)
7 / 8“We are taking what happened in a positive way and remain prepared to take up the next challenge,” President Masakazu Toyoda told reporters. Toyoda and other officials stressed that space travel succeeds only after multiple failures. He even refused to call the aborted launch a failure, and declined to reveal the costs or when the investigation might be completed. (Image: AP)
8 / 8Tokyo-based Space One was set up in 2018, with investments from major Japanese companies, including Canon Electronics, IHI, Shimizu and major banks. It's hoping to eventually offer space services and travel. (Image: AP)
