Japan H3 rocket fails, destruct command issued / Photo: © JIJI Press/AFP
-
Italian garbagemen help recover lost 1 mln euro lottery ticket
-
Greece gains ground against blaze near Athens
-
EU nations patch things up after Ceuta migration discord
-
Oil turns lower, stocks gain on hopes of Hormuz opening
-
US hopeful Hormuz strait deal will be done 'today or tomorrow' after ship hit
-
World Bank warns developing countries to embrace AI or be left behind
-
Infantino's problems mount as Wenger and key FIFA ally turn on him
-
'No decision' on Mudryk future after Chelsea return: Alonso
-
Oil edges higher, stocks gain as investors eye political risks
-
China draws up safety rules for autonomous vehicles
-
Man Utd sign reported record £20mn sponsorship deal for training kit
-
Wenger says scrapping Infantino's World Cup plan was "absolutely necessary"
-
Stokes reveals England coaching ambition
-
Spain confronts EU migration hawks in tense Ceuta talks
-
Cargo ship hit after Trump insists Iran talks could reopen Hormuz today
-
Firefighters hope to contain blaze on Athens outskirts
-
BP profit soars as Mideast war roils energy prices
-
Heatwave divides rich and poor of upmarket Seoul
-
Most stock markets gain, while oil prices edge up after plunge
-
Drone strike on Moscow region kills 5
-
Most stock markets gain, while oil prices edge up after latest plunge
-
Guatemala issues 'danger' alert after Fuego volcano erupts
-
Weak yen helps auto giant Toyota raise forecasts
-
Heat kills 16 in South Korea this summer: interior ministry
-
TRON DAO Joins Blockchain Application Stanford Summit at the Science of Blockchain Conference as a Sponsor
-
Arson suspect arrested as US northwest battles wildfires
-
Rockets, Starlink, AI: SpaceX faces its first Wall Street grilling
-
Britain's Royal Mint strikes gold in electronic waste
-
After sparring over Ceuta, EU states seek lessons from crisis
-
Amorim evokes spirit of Baresi as he bids revive AC Milan fortunes
-
Forest fire spreads in Dutch nature reserve
-
Suspected heatstroke kills three lions at Japan zoo
-
Japan sees 'urgent' need to boost military
-
Stocks mixed as Seoul stabilises, oil prices rise with eyes on Mideast
-
Myanmar ex-junta chief set for first Thailand visit as civilian leader
-
Trapped by war, Bangladesh seafarer recounts Gulf ordeal
-
New Zealand hooker Bell out of South Africa tour with calf strain
-
WWII shells surface in wildfire-ravaged French village
-
Trump attorney general pick looks set to clear US Senate hurdle
-
Last Scottish island bird hunt banned after almost 500 years
-
Agassi Sports Entertainment Launches Global "Let's Play" Pickleball and Padel Platform Initiative
-
Ore Energy Raises $43 Million to Unlock Renewable Baseload Power for the AI Era
-
Death toll from Venezuela quakes rises past 6,000
-
Fritz outguns Jodar to win ATP Washington title
-
Shafique, Babar lead strong Pakistan reply against West Indies
-
Major League Soccer names LAFC co-owner Berg as next commissioner
-
Defending champ Shelton finding tournament sweet spot in Montreal
-
Osaka out to improve Toronto fortunes with eye on US Open
-
Democratic-led US states sue in latest challenge to Trump's tariffs
-
Dow hits fresh record as oil prices tumble
Japan H3 rocket fails, destruct command issued
Japan's next-generation H3 rocket failed after liftoff on Tuesday, with the space agency issuing a destruct command after concluding the mission could not succeed.
The failure is a blow for Japan's space agency JAXA, after the rocket failed to even lift off on its first try last month.
Tuesday's launch from the Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan initially appeared to be a success, with the flagship rocket lifting off at 10:37am (0137GMT).
The first stage separation appeared to go as planned, but soon afterwards, signs of trouble emerged.
"It seems that the velocity is coming down," announcers on the JAXA live feed said, with the command centre then announcing: "The second stage engine ignition has not been confirmed yet, we continue to confirm the situation."
The live feed was then briefly halted, with a message reading "We are currently checking the status. Please wait."
When it resumed, the command centre announced the news.
"Destruct command has been transmitted to H3 because there was no possibility of achieving the mission."
There was no immediate explanation for why the launch failed.
The H3 is a launch vehicle for an observation satellite, and the rocket has been mooted as a possible competitor to SpaceX's Falcon 9.
P.Anderson--BTB
