Failed H3 rocket shows abnormal voltage levels: Japan's space agency

TOKYO - Japan's space agency said Wednesday that flight data analysis of the failed H3 rocket launch showed that a device had abnormal voltage levels around the time the second-stage engine was supposed to ignite.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said it confirmed that the rocket had sent a signal to its second-stage engine to ignite and the engine had received the signal, but a section of the device needed for ignition had abnormal voltage levels.

The agency reported its initial findings to a government panel of experts on the day, adding that it will investigate the cause of the failure in detail and take corrective measures.

Japan's new flagship H3 rocket, the successor to the country's reliable H2A rocket, blasted off on Tuesday but was ordered to self-destruct minutes later after the vehicle's second-stage engine failed to ignite.