Space One rocket explodes soon after launch in Japan

First attempt with private Kairos rocket was intended to test viability of homegrown commercial launch business

A rocket made by a Japanese company has exploded seconds after it was launched with the goal of putting a satellite into orbit.

Tokyo-based Space One's 18-metre Kairos rocket blasted off from the company's launch pad in the Wakayama region of western Japan, carrying a small government test satellite, on Wednesday.