Jaxa'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, attempted to launch the small rocket from the Uchinoura Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, at around 9:50 a.m.
JAXA officials say the rocket, carrying satellites, encountered issues as it was ascending. After determining they could no longer safely navigate the rocket, they sent it a command to self-destruct.
The failure is the first for the Epsilon series of rockets, introduced by JAXA as a low-cost way to put small satellites into orbit.
It is also the first failed launch of a major Japanese rocket since 2003.