March 6, 2023, 23:24 PM
March 6, 2023, 23:24 PM
The launch of Japan’s next-generation H3 rocket failed after liftoff, when the space agency ordered it to self-destruct after determining it would fail to complete its mission.
The H3 was able to take off at 10:37 (01:37 GMT) after a failed attempt in Februarybut an announcement on the live broadcast of the Japanese space agency JAXA noted that the speed of the rocket appeared to be falling.
The first phase separation proceeded as planned, but then signs of trouble appeared.
“It seems that the speed is falling,” the narrators said on the JAXA live broadcast, after which the command center announced that “The ignition engine of the second stage has not been confirmed”.
The live broadcast was briefly interrupted, with a message that read: “We are currently reviewing the situation. Please wait.”
When the transmission resumed, the command center announced the destruction of the rocket.
“The destroy order was transmitted to H3 because it had no chance to complete the mission,” the control center said.
There was no initial explanation for the mission’s failure.
The H3 is a launch vehicle for an observation satellite, and the rocket has been flagged as a possible competitor to SpaceX’s Falcon 9.
