Tokyo-based startup Space One on Saturday postponed its second attempt this year to become the first private Japanese company to put a satellite into orbit using its solid-fuel Kairos No. 2 rocket.

This delay comes after the failure of its first rocket, which erupted into flames just seconds after liftoff earlier this spring. Strong winds were cited as the reason for the cancellation, and the launch has been postponed to a date from Sunday onward.

The 18-meter, 23-ton solid-fuel Kairos rocket was set to launch at 11 a.m. from a new space facility in Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture, but its liftoff was abruptly postponed about 30 minutes before the schedule. The rocket was planned to carry five small satellites, including ones from Taiwan¡¯s space agency and a venture company based in Kyoto.

A distinctive feature of the Kairos is its ¡°autonomous flight safety system,¡± the first of its kind in a Japanese rocket.

Compared with the solid-fuel Epsilon S, Japan¡¯s next-generation flagship rocket being developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, the Kairos is slightly smaller and can carry about a quarter of the payload. However, this smaller size enables reduced costs and shorter preparation times for launches.

In March, the No. 1 Kairos rocket exploded just five seconds after liftoff, with its remains falling onto a nearby mountainous area. The failure was caused by problems with the rocket¡¯s first stage, with the autonomous flight system triggering a self-destruct mechanism.

Had the launch been successful, the Kairos rocket would have become Japan¡¯s first fully private-sector-developed rocket capable of placing a satellite into orbit.

The startup originally planned to conduct its first launch in fiscal 2021, but delayed the attempt five times, citing setbacks in acquiring parts prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of Russia¡¯s invasion of Ukraine.