Japan was forced to blow up its new rocket during a failed launch on Tuesday 7th March 2023
Its space agency JAXA had to send a self-destruct command to the H3 rocket when its second-stage engine failed minutes after lift-off.
Observers say it is a significant setback for Japan’s Aerospace Exploration Agency.
The government called the test failure “extremely regrettable”.
The H3 Launch Vehicle is a Japanese expendable launch system. H3 launch vehicles are liquid-propellant rockets with strap-on solid rocket boosters and are launched from Tanegashima Space Center in Japan. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and JAXA are responsible for the design, manufacture, and operation of the H3
The destroyed H3 rocket was carrying ALOS-3, a satellite with disaster management tools that can be quickly deployed to observe affected areas.
The ALOS-3 system is capable of detecting North Korean missile launches.
