The Japan Aerospace Agency (JAXA) reported a self-destruct command executed on the Epsilon VI rocket after its launch, stating the vehicle could not fly safely due to an ignition anomaly. The solid-fuel rocket lifted off from the Uchinoura Space Center in Kagoshima prefecture, in the southwest, around 9:50 am local time, with live coverage streamed by JAXA on its YouTube channel. A misfire was observed on the air, followed by a command to trigger the flight termination system, which caused the vehicle to crash into the Pacific. This marked the first failure of an Epsilon-type rocket to fail to reach orbit (JAXA statement).
