logo
Taiwan rocket crashes in Japan's 1st launch backed by foreign capital

Taiwan rocket crashes in Japan's 1st launch backed by foreign capital

The Mainichia day ago
KUSHIRO, Hokkaido (Kyodo) -- A Taiwanese rocket crashed shortly after lifting off from a private spaceport in northern Japan, failing in what would have been the first successful launch from Japanese soil of a rocket developed with foreign capital.
The 12-meter rocket dubbed "VP01" was launched by jtSPACE Co., a Japanese arm of a Taiwanese aerospace company, at 11:40 a.m. on Saturday, according to the operator of Hokkaido Spaceport.
While the rocket's first stage likely separated and splashed down in the Pacific as planned, the second stage lost stability immediately after separation and came down in a restricted-access field near the spaceport.
"The second stage was terminated after separation, as it was determined that the mission could no longer proceed," the port operator Space Cotan Co. said in a press release. No injuries were reported.
VP01 reached an altitude of 4 kilometers, significantly short of the target altitude of 100 km.
Space Cotan said the rocket was brought down by its flight termination system. CEO Yoshinori Odagiri said the company will wait for the results of an investigation into what happened to the rocket's second stage.
The test aimed to send the VP01, which measures 0.6 meter in diameter and weighs 1.4 tons, to an altitude of about 100 km, verify the rocket's performance and support the development of an orbital launch vehicle capable of carrying a satellite, according to Space Cotan.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Japan-backed chipmaker JS Foundry to file for bankruptcy
Japan-backed chipmaker JS Foundry to file for bankruptcy

Nikkei Asia

time23 minutes ago

  • Nikkei Asia

Japan-backed chipmaker JS Foundry to file for bankruptcy

JS Foundry was set up by Mercuria Investment and Sangyo Sosei Advisory in December 2022. Nikkei staff writers TOKYO -- A Japanese government-backed contract chipmaker is set to file for bankruptcy protection with the Tokyo District Court on Monday, sources told Nikkei. The company, Tokyo-based JS Foundry, is a producer of power semiconductors that are typically used for regulating electric power flows and used in large electric equipment such as electric vehicles, home appliances and trains.

Trump Says Japan Changing Its Way in Tariff Talks

timean hour ago

Trump Says Japan Changing Its Way in Tariff Talks

News from Japan Economy Jul 14, 2025 14:23 (JST) Washington, July 13 (Jiji Press)--U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that Japan is "changing" its way very rapidly in tariff negotiations with the United States. Trump was speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews near Washington, but he did not elaborate. Japan may have made concessions in the tariff talks. The president made the comments after criticizing Japan, saying, "We sell them no cars because they won't accept our cars, and they won't accept much of our agricultural stuff." Trump said in a letter addressed to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Monday that his administration will impose a 25 pct reciprocal tariff on all imports from Japan, effective on Aug. 1. In response, Ishiba stressed that his government will not make concessions easily in order to protect Japan's national interests. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press

BOJ Completes Sales of Stocks Bought during Financial Crises

time3 hours ago

BOJ Completes Sales of Stocks Bought during Financial Crises

News from Japan Economy Jul 14, 2025 13:18 (JST) Tokyo, July 14 (Jiji Press)--The Bank of Japan has completed the sale of stocks acquired from domestic financial institutions during past financial crises, it was learned Monday. The Japanese central bank had bought shares held by private financial institutions since 2002, in a bid to stabilize the financial system. Its stock holdings topped 2 trillion yen at one point on a book value basis. The BOJ's accounts report released Monday showed its stock holdings at zero as of Thursday, marking an end of the central bank's highly unusual policy of acquiring the high-risk assets. At the time the BOJ began its stock purchases, Japanese private banks had been struggling with nonperforming loans following the burst of the country's bubble economy. The BOJ determined that a decline in stock prices would deal a blow to banks' finances and destabilize the country's entire financial system. The central bank embarked on purchases of shares held by private banks as a measure to achieve financial stability, rather than as a monetary policy affecting the economy and prices. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store