Japan’s new H3 space rocket failed on its debut flight on Tuesday, March 7, after the second-stage engine didn’t ignite, prompting controllers to issue a command for the rocket to self-destruct, according to local media and Japan’s space agency.

Local media reported the rocket was scheduled to place an Earth-observation satellite into orbit after its launch from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said the destruct command was issued around 15 minutes after launch “because there was no possibility of achieving the mission”. Credit: JAXA via Storyful

Video transcript

- [SPEAKING JAPANESE]

INTERPRETER: Sound suppression water system at the launch day, is activated.

- [SPEAKING JAPANESE]

- [SPEAKING JAPANESE]

INTERPRETER: Flight mode on.

- [SPEAKING JAPANESE]

INTERPRETER: Hydrogen pressure ignitor on.

- [SPEAKING JAPANESE]

INTERPRETER: All systems a go for launch. Main engine start.

- [SPEAKING JAPANESE]

INTERPRETER: [INAUDIBLE] bursts ignition and liftoff.

- [SPEAKING JAPANESE]

INTERPRETER: We have a successful liftoff of H3 launch vehicle, test flight wave 803 from JAXA Tanegashima Space Center at 10:37:55 seconds AM on March 7, 2023, Japan Standard Time.

- [SPEAKING JAPANESE]

INTERPRETER: The operation control of H3 has been switched from launch control center to range control center.

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INTERPRETER: H3 is flying over Pacific Ocean to the east-southeast.

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INTERPRETER: It's one minute into flight.

- [SPEAKING JAPANESE]

- [SPEAKING JAPANESE]

INTERPRETER: The H3 flight is on course. And the ground stations are tracking the launch vehicle and all is good.

- [SPEAKING JAPANESE]

- [SPEAKING JAPANESE]

INTERPRETER: [INAUDIBLE] booster burnt out.

- [SPEAKING JAPANESE]

- [SPEAKING JAPANESE]

INTERPRETER: [INAUDIBLE] booster, separation.

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INTERPRETER: Currently, Tanegashima and [INAUDIBLE] ground stations are checking H3.

- [SPEAKING JAPANESE]

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INTERPRETER: As was just announced, rocket could not complete its mission so destruct command was sent. It was decided that the rocket could not complete its mission. So destruct command was sent.

Destruct command is we send the signal and there is this device that is activated to destruct the rocket.

- [SPEAKING JAPANESE]

INTERPRETER: Instead, it will not fly any further and it will come back down to Earth. So we were watching in the CG. The first stage combustion was completed. And we could see that the command was sent to separate the first and second stage.

At 5 minutes 27 seconds, the second stage engine was started to ignite. But in the CG, that signal was not received. We were not able to confirm that. So what happened there? Something that we have to investigate, looking at all the data.

So during this broadcast, it will probably be difficult to explain in detail all the phenomena. So please, well, we'd like to communicate to you through the website or through other media. So we cannot expect more news to come in. And so we would like to conclude the live broadcast for the H3 first test flight.

Very regrettable this happened. It's a test vehicle so there were various challenges. And there were some risks, of course, because it was a newly developed. So going forward, we're going to investigate the cause. Yes, we need to identify the cause. And then reflected in the next test vehicle. That would be our mission.

So as for the detailed information, please visit the JAXA website. Information will be provided there. Thank you for watching the live broadcast. Thank you very much.