Japan’s Space Program Faces Setback As Rocket Is Destroyed By Officials Moments After Launch

JAXA destroyed the H3 rocket due to ignition failure of the second stage just minutes after launch on March 7, 2023.

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The destruction of the rocket is a setback for Japan's space program and possibly its missile detection program as well.

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This is the second failure in six months after the failure of the smaller Epsilon-series solid-fueled rocket designed to launch scientific satellites in October.

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The H3's launch had been delayed for more than two years due to an engine development delay.

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Yasuhiro Funo, JAXA director for launch implementation, mentioned that the payload fell into the deep sea near the eastern coast of the Philippines during the second stage.

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JAXA President Hiroshi Yamakawa said that analyzing the malfunction and regaining the trust comes first, and the space launch business is very competitive.

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