Japan's new rocket fails on debut launch in setback for space program

Japan’s maiden launch of its new flagship space rocket ended in failure on Tuesday when controllers issued a destruct command just 15 minutes after liftoff, the country’s space agency said. “A destruct command has been transmitted to H3 around 10:52 a.m. (Japan Standard Time), because there was no possibility of achieving the mission,” a statement from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said. A report from public broadcaster NHK said the second stage of the H3 rocket did not ignite. The rocket, which took off from the Tanegashima Space Center...