Overview
- SpaceOne announced on August 30 that its initial probe finds electrostatic charge built up on part of Kairos No.3 spread during flight and likely caused a temporary device-to-device communications loss inside the rocket’s autonomous flight‑safety system.
- That communications drop appears to have triggered a software reset in one of the system’s two redundant channels and led the onboard computer to judge the interruption an anomaly and command flight termination.
- SpaceOne says the rocket’s speed and attitude after liftoff were normal, which suggests the termination came from the safety system response rather than an early propulsion or guidance failure.
- The company frames the static‑electricity link as a high‑probability but not definitive conclusion and says further investigation, testing and validation are needed before a final root‑cause is confirmed.
- The finding highlights electrostatic discharge and software‑resilience risks for small private launchers and could prompt engineering changes, new ground procedures and closer regulatory review to protect public safety and mission reliability.