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Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Two were martyred in an initial toll of the Israeli drone strike that targeted the al-Asira neighborhood in the city of Baalbek, eastern Lebanon
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: An Israeli drone strike targeted the al-Asira neighborhood east of Baalbek, eastern Lebanon
Sheikh Naim Qassem to the pager attack survivors: You are the greatest resistance. Know that 'Israel' will fall because it embodies aggression, crime, and occupation; victory is truly yours
Sheikh Qassem to the pager attack survivors: The value of what you are doing despite your wounds is immense, and here you are, treading the path of the Master of Nation's Martyrs and the leaders
Sheikh Qassem to the pager attack survivors: You are moving forward with insight deeper than sight itself. The enemy sought to eliminate your role in the battle, yet you remain steadfast and continue the fight
Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem to the pager attack survivors one year later: You are healing from your wounds and rising above them. You have successfully passed the test
Palestinian media: Reports of stabbing operation in occupied al-Quds.
Israeli media: Sirens blare in Arava in South, near Ramon Airport.
Egyptian PM Mostafa Madbouli: Egypt is targeted in plans to redraw regional map
AEOI Chief Mohammad Eslami: Our presence in IAEA General Council and fact-checking helped in preventing unilateral rhetoric that aims to portray Iran as an unregulated country

Japan: Space rocket failed launch prompts self-destruction order

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 12 Oct 2022 06:57
2 Min Read

A JAXA official says the agency sent a self-destruct order to its Epsilon rocket because of the danger it would create if it falls on the ground.

  • x
  • The Epsilon rocket (Reuters)
    The Epsilon rocket (Reuters)

Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) confirmed that it sent a self-destruct order to its Epsilon rocket after a failed launch on Wednesday because of a problem that meant the craft could not safely fly.

The unmanned rocket, on its sixth mission, was taking satellites into orbit to demonstrate "innovative" technologies.

A JAXA official explained in televised comments that "the rocket can't continue a safe flight, because of the danger it would create if it falls on the ground."

"So we took measures to avoid such an incident, and we sent the signal (to destroy the rocket)," he continued, adding that information on the cause of the issue was not immediately available.

It was Japan's first failed rocket launch since 2003, and public broadcaster NHK mentioned that the self-destruct order was issued around 10 minutes after liftoff.

A JAXA live stream of the launch from Uchinoura Space Center in southern Japan's Kagoshima was interrupted, and presenters said there had been a problem, without giving details.

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The solid-fuel Epsilon rocket has been in use since 2013. It is smaller than Japan's previous liquid-fuelled model, and a successor to the solid-fuel "M-5" rocket that was retired in 2006 due to its high cost.

JAXA describes Epsilon as "a solid-fuel rocket designed to lower the threshold to space... and usher in an age in which everyone can make active use of space."

A box-shaped satellite carried by the Epsilon rocket, called RAISE-3, had been due to orbit the Earth for at least a year, according to a JAXA fact sheet about the mission that was named "Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration-3."

Universities, research institutions, and companies had been invited to engineer new technologies to try out on RAISE-3.

In addition to RAISE-3, eight microsatellites were also being launched by the Epsilon rocket, the fact sheet said.

Japan's last failed space rocket take-off was in 2003 when the country aborted the launch of a pair of spy satellites to monitor North Korea.

Read more: Japan, US holding joint drills in response to DPRK's missile test

  • Japan
  • JAXA
  • Tokyo

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