Japan H3 rocket fails, destruct command issued / Photo: STR - JIJI Press/AFP
-
Giant step for humankind: Artemis crew to set space distance record
-
Wawrinka falls in first round of Monte Carlo Masters
-
Ex-England rugby international Lawes to leave Brive
-
Fit-again Mbappe at Real Madrid for clashes like Bayern tie: Arbeloa
-
Swimmers McKeown, O'Callaghan and Chalmers dominate at Australian Open
-
Bucha: When the Russian killers came...
-
Iran, a Terrorist State with No Right to Exist
-
African players in Europe: Semenyo scores as City rout Liverpool
-
Israeli strikes kill Iran Guards intel chief as Trump deadline looms
-
Saving energy in everyday life or a complete rip-off?
-
US sprint star Richardson wins Australia's Stawell Gift in record time
-
Rockets down Warriors in Curry return, Flagg carries Mavs past Lakers
-
Artemis mission approaches lunar loop for first flyby since 1972
-
Israeli rescuers search for missing in building strike, two dead
-
Defiant Iran ramps up attacks after Trump warning
-
Saudi oasis town adjusts to life in the firing line
-
Pogacar stays humble with Monument history beckoning
-
Real Madrid hoping Champions League magic halts Bayern juggernaut
-
Sputtering Arsenal face test of character in Sporting clash
-
'Not the Cairo we know': Energy shock from Iran war dims Egypt nights
-
Tokyo, Seoul shares gain, war sends oil higher
-
Artemis mission headed for first lunar flyby since 1972
-
South Korea president says regrets 'reckless' drones sent to North
-
Coughlin captures third LPGA title at Aramco Championship
-
What to know about the Artemis 2 mission's Moon flyby
-
Mystique of the green jacket endures as Masters looms
-
In El Salvador's mass trials, 'the innocent pay for the guilty'
-
Trump makes stark threat to Iran after US airman rescued
-
Cash and Roman Felber Ramp Up British F4 Preparations
-
MyPlanAdvocate Rebrands as MPA and Integrates HealthyLabs, Bringing AI-Powered Performance Marketing In-House
-
XCF Global and Axens North America Announce Commercial Collaboration for Vegan(R) Technology
-
SMX Launches Digital Material Passport Platform (DMPP) Enabling Verified Material Identity, Traceability and Real-World Asset Tokenization
-
TrustNFT Releases White Paper on Corporate Costs of Email Impersonation, Documenting $2.9 Billion in Annual Losses and Growing Brand Liability Risk
-
Commonwealth Wholesale Corporation Signs Lease at Central Port Logistics Center Building 4 Strategically Located Near the Port of Savannah
-
Datavault AI CEO Nathaniel T. Bradley to Deliver Flagship Keynotes on Breakthrough RWA Tokenization at CONV3RGENCE London and AssetRush × Zurich 2026
-
HarrisQuest Launches Lou, a Voice-Enabled AI Analyst Built Inside The Harris Poll's Brand Tracking Platform
-
Fortitude Gold Declares April 2026 Monthly Dividend
-
Revelation Biosciences Announces Formation of Acute Kidney Injury Advisory Board
-
Arrive AI Secures Tenth U.S. Patent, Positioning as the Critical Infrastructure Layer for Autonomous Delivery at Scale
-
National Study of 2,300+ Women Finds Social Connection Shapes Volunteer Experience Amid Competing Work, Caregiving, and Life Demands
-
Prof. Abdul Al Lily Announces the Release of The Naughty AI CEO, Exploring the Future of AI-Driven Leadership
-
Hillcrest Closes Shares for Debt Offering
-
Elektros Positions Itself at the Center of High-Stakes EV Infrastructure Opportunity Through Strategic Engagement with Major Global Automotive Leader
-
ReElement Technologies Announces April Conference and Event Schedule
-
Greenpro Capital Corp. Successfully Acquires Stake in AI Forekast Limited, an Augmented Intelligence Provider
-
Ondas' 4M Defense Wins Competitive Tender for Large-Scale Border Demining Program with Opportunity Expected to Exceed $50 Million
-
Sunshine Biopharma Reports Fiscal 2025 Revenue of $36.3 Million, a 4.1% Increase Over Prior Year
-
MDCE's Snapshot Recipes App Scales Marketing Strategy Beyond Initial Podcast Deals with Expanded iHeart Campaign
-
SMX Announces Launch of Its Digital Material Passport Platform, Enabling Real-World Asset Tokenisation and Global Material Traceability
-
Bora Biologics Successfully Completes 2,000L Engineering and Scale-Up Run in San Diego, Reinforcing Commercial-Scale Readiness
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.
R.Lee--AT