Privately developed Japanese rocket fails shortly after liftoff

The launch of what would have been Japan's first privately developed rocket to reach outer space failed Saturday, as the rocket crashed to the ground and burst into flames seconds after liftoff, its developer said.Officials of Interstellar Technologies Inc., founded in 2013 by former Livedoor Co. President Takafumi Horie, said the rocket, MOMO-2, lost thrust shortly after liftoff at around 5:30 a.m. from a test site in the town of Taiki on Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido.No injuries were reported in the explosion of the unmanned rocket, which was about 10 meters long, 50 centim…READ FULL ARTICLE