Self-Destruct Command Issued After Liftoff for Japan’s New H3 Rocket

Rocket carried sensor in hope of detecting North Korea's ballistic missile launches

Japan's next generation "H3" rocket, carrying the advanced optical satellite "Daichi 3", leaves the launch pad at the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima, southwestern Japan on March 7, 2023. STR/JIJI Press/AFP via Getty Images

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said it has had to destroy its new medium-lift H3 rocket that it launched toward space on Tuesday.

The self-destruct command was issued after the vehicle’s second-stage engine failed to ignite after liftoff, and it was determined that the mission could not succeed.