After the launch of the rocket, a malfunction signal was received.
The first Japanese orbital launch this year went according to plan . On Tuesday, October 11, the Epsilon launch vehicle launched from the Uchinoura Space Center and exploded shortly after launch, reports Space.com.
The rocket was supposed to deliver a satellite into orbit as part of the Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration 3 mission.< /p>
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At first everything went normally, two stages of the launch vehicle were working normally. But when the third stage was supposed to be engaged, a malfunction signal was received. As a result, controllers activated the flight termination system, which destroyed the Epsilon.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said it would investigate the cause of the malfunction.
The main satellite that the rocket was supposed to launch was RAISE 3 – a device weighing 240 kilograms, equipped with a payload for technology testing. The launch vehicle also carried five tiny cubesats.
The mission was Epsilon's sixth launch and first failure.
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