ANKARA

Japan's flagship H3 rocket lifted off for the first time on Tuesday from a space center on the southeast coast of Tanegashima, but was ordered to self-destruct minutes later, the country's space agency said.

"A destruct command has been transmitted to H3 around 10:52 a.m. (0152GMT), because there was no possibility of achieving the mission," said Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in a brief statement.

"We are confirming the situation," it added.

On Feb. 17, the H3 rocket also failed to lift off from a space center despite having its main engine ignited.

The long-awaited launch attempt from the Tanegashima Space Center had been plagued by delays, and the latest failure is yet another setback for Japan's space strategy.

Japan Science Minister Keiko Nagaoka called Tuesday's outcome "extremely regrettable" and apologized for "failing to meet the expectations of the public and related parties," according to Kyodo News Agency.

She said a task force has been established to work with the space agency and determine the causes of the H3 rocket failure.

The H3 Launch Vehicle is Japan's new flagship rocket, designed to achieve high flexibility, reliability, and cost performance.

The rocket was originally scheduled to launch in March 2021, but it was delayed due to problems with the newly developed LE-9 first-stage engine.

In October last year, a rocket carrying eight satellites was launched, but it failed to reach its set orbit.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid