Space rocket explodes shortly after takeoff during a failed satellite launch

A rocket attempting to launch a satellite into orbit exploded just seconds after launch in Japan.

Fiery debris and huge plumes of smoke filled the sky after Space One’s failed launch of the Kairos rocket.

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The company attempted to become the first Japanese company to successfully launch a satellite into orbit.

Just five seconds after takeoff, the 16-meter rocket exploded, leaving a huge fireball at the tip of the mountainous Kii Peninsula in western Japan.

Dramatic footage showed a huge plume of smoke engulfing the area as water jets desperately tried to extinguish the fire.

Debris spread from the air and charred pieces of the rocket were later found scattered on the ground.

Company chairman Masakazu Toyoda said: “The rocket ended its flight after assessing that accomplishing its mission would be difficult.”

Space One has not confirmed what problem was detected by the rocket’s automated system that caused the rocket to explode.

The projectile is programmed to self-destruct when it detects errors in the flight path, speed or control system that could cause a crash that endangers people on the ground.

Toyoda added: “We do not use the world’s ‘failure’, because every trial gives us … new data and experiences for a new challenge.”

Space One said the problem occurred during step two of the launch, where the first step was liftoff, and all pieces of the rocket landed on company property.

The missile would have sent a government-made satellite into orbit around Earth to gather information, including monitoring potential dangers from missile launches from neighboring North Korea.

But one of the main objectives was for Japan to catch up, as missile launches here have lagged behind those of the US and China.

Space One had scheduled the launch for Saturday but postponed it after a ship entered the nearby restricted sea area.

Tokyo-based Space One was founded in 2018 with investments from major Japanese companies including Canon Electronics, IHI, Shimizu and major banks.

It hopes to eventually offer space services and travel.

Japan’s main efforts in space exploration were led by the government under JAXA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, which sent a spacecraft to the moon and brought back samples of asteroids for research.