Japan space rocket explodes seconds after launch

The 18m rocket exploded seconds after lifting off, leaving behind a large cloud of smoke and a fire near the launch pad. - AFP

TOKYO: A rocket made by a Japanese company exploded seconds after launch on Wednesday (March 13), in a spectacular failure for the start-up's bid to put a satellite into orbit.

Tokyo-based Space One's 18-metre (60-foot) Kairos rocket blasted off in the coastal Wakayama region of western Japan, carrying a small government test satellite.