Japan Epsilon rocket launch fails, self-destruct command sent

A Japanese satellite-carrying rocket failed at launch on Wednesday, with the country's space agency ordering the Epsilon launch vehicle to self-destruct just minutes after liftoff as it deviated from its intended trajectory.The development marked Japan's first rocket launch failure since November 2003, when an H2A rocket was deliberately destroyed shortly after liftoff and dealt a blow to an agency looking to expand its uptake of commercial satellites for its launches.The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency sent the command at 9:57 a.m. after the Epsilon-6 rocket lifted off from Uchinoura Sp…READ FULL ARTICLE