Japan's new H3 rocket fails again, forced to self-destruct

Tokyo (AFP) March 7, 2023

Japan's second attempt to launch its next-generation H3 rocket failed after liftoff on Tuesday, with the spacecraft forced to self-destruct after the command centre concluded the mission could not succeed. The failure is a blow for Japan's space agency JAXA, which has billed the rocket as a flexible and cost-effective new flagship. Its launch had already been delayed by several years, an