Japan Rocket Fails After Liftoff, Space Agency Issues Destruct Command

Just after liftoff, an announcement on the Japan space agency's live feed said the rocket's velocity appeared to be dropping.

Japan's next-generation H3 rocket failed after liftoff on Tuesday, with the space agency issuing a destruct command after concluding the mission could not succeed. The failure is a blow for Japan's space agency JAXA, after the rocket failed to even lift off on its first try last month.

Tuesday's launch from the Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan initially appeared to be a success, with the flagship rocket lifting off at 10:37am (0137GMT).

The first stage separation appeared to go as planned, but soon afterwards, signs of trouble emerged.

"It seems that the velocity is coming down," announcers on the JAXA live feed said, with the command centre then announcing: "The second stage engine ignition has not been confirmed yet, we continue to confirm the situation."