Japan's Epsilon - 6 Rocket Launch Fails
Japan's space agency says an attempted launch of its Epsilon-6 rocket failed on Wednesday morning.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, tried to launch the 30-meter rocket from the Uchinoura Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, at around 9:50 a.m.
JAXA officials say the rocket encountered issues as it was ascending. After determining they could no longer safely navigate the rocket, they sent a command to self-destruct.
The Epsilon-6 was carrying multiple satellites, including two for commercial use developed by a venture company from Fukuoka City in western Japan.
It was the first Epsilon series rocket to carry commercial satellites.
Market demand is on the rise for rockets to carry small satellites, and expectations were high that a success could enable JAXA to tap into the satellite business.
The failure is the first for an Epsilon rocket, introduced by the space agency as a low-cost launch vehicle.