Japan forced to destroy flagship H3 rocket in failed launch

Japan was forced to blow up its new rocket during a failed launch on Tuesday, setting back efforts to crack a market led by Elon Musk's SpaceX.

Its space agency had to send a self-destruct command to the H3 rocket when its second-stage engine failed minutes after lift-off.

Observers say it is a significant setback for Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa).

The government called the test failure "extremely regrettable".

The H3 rocket is the first medium-lift rocket designed by Japan in three decades.

It has been presented as a cheaper alternative to SpaceX's Falcon 9 for launching commercial and government satellites into Earth's orbit. read more