Japan's Epsilon - 6 Rocket Launch Fails Six Minutes After Lifting Off
Japan's space agency says an attempted launch of its Epsilon-6 rocket failed on Wednesday. Officials sent a command to the rocket to self-destruct about six minutes after it lifted off.
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 an abnormality as it was ascending, and they determined that they could no longer safely navigate it.
The Epsilon-6 was carrying eight satellites, including two for commercial use that were developed by a venture company from Fukuoka City in western Japan.
It was the first Epsilon series rocket to carry commercial satellites.
There is growing market demand for rockets that can carry small satellites, and JAXA was hopeful that a successful launch would lead to business opportunities with the satellite industry.
The failure is the first for an Epsilon rocket, introduced by the space agency as a low-cost launch vehicle.
JAXA is investigating the cause.