AMSTERDAM — The Japanese military has selected companies Space One and Space BD to launch a small satellite.
The companies announced May 28 that they won a contract from the Japan Ministry of Defense for the launch of an optical imaging satellite that will be built by Canon Electronics. The announcement did not disclose the value of the contract or the projected launch date.
Under the agreement, Space BD will be responsible for the launch services, with the actual launch carried out by Space One using its Kairos small launch vehicle. Space BD has previously arranged launches of satellites as rideshares, as well as from the International Space Station, but this is the first time it has contracted for a dedicated launch.
“Through this initiative, we aim to contribute to Japan’s national security, the advancement of the commercial space industry, and the long-term sustainability of space activities,” Masakazu Toyoda, president and chief executive of Space One, said in a statement.
The Kairos vehicle that will launch the satellite has flown twice, failing to reach orbit in both cases. An inaugural launch in March 2024 was terminated seconds after liftoff because of underperformance of the solid-fuel first stage. A second launch in December 2024 failed when the rocket lost attitude control about two minutes after liftoff, near the end of the first-stage burn.
Space One has not published details on the cause of the second failure. Company officials said at the Smallsat Europe conference here that they are preparing for another launch in the near future but did not offer a more specific schedule.
Kairos is a four-stage solid-fuel rocket capable of placing up to 150 kilograms into sun-synchronous orbits. It launches from a private launch site, Spaceport Kii, in southern Honshu. Despite the initial launch failures, Space One still projects launching as often as 20 times a year by the end of the decade.
