TOKYO: Japan’s space agency JAXA suffered another setback on Tuesday when their next-generation H3 rocket failed after liftoff.
The first stage separation appeared to go as planned, but soon afterwards, signs of trouble emerged. The command centre issued a destruct command after signs of trouble emerged following the first stage separation.
The 57-metre (187 ft) tall H3 rocket, developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and launched from the Tanegashima space port, was carrying the ALOS-3 disaster management satellite and an experimental infrared sensor.
“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.”
This failure comes after the rocket failed to lift off on its first try last month, dealing a blow to JAXA’s ambitions.
The rocket was meant to launch an observation satellite, and had been seen as a potential competitor to SpaceX’s Falcon 9.
There is currently no explanation for the cause of the failure.
The first stage separation appeared to go as planned, but soon afterwards, signs of trouble emerged. The command centre issued a destruct command after signs of trouble emerged following the first stage separation.
The 57-metre (187 ft) tall H3 rocket, developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and launched from the Tanegashima space port, was carrying the ALOS-3 disaster management satellite and an experimental infrared sensor.
“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.”
This failure comes after the rocket failed to lift off on its first try last month, dealing a blow to JAXA’s ambitions.
The rocket was meant to launch an observation satellite, and had been seen as a potential competitor to SpaceX’s Falcon 9.
There is currently no explanation for the cause of the failure.