Japan's space agency says flight data analysis of the failed H3 rocket launch revealed that a device had abnormal voltage levels around the time the second-stage engine was supposed to ignite.
Japan's new flagship H3 rocket lifted off on Tuesday. The second-stage engine failed to ignite after the first and second stages of the launch vehicle were separated. The agency was forced to send a self-destruct prompt to the rocket.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency reported its initial findings to a government panel of experts on Wednesday.
JAXA said it confirmed the rocket had sent a signal to its second-stage engine to ignite and the engine had received the signal. But it said that a section of the device needed for ignition had abnormal voltage levels.
JAXA said it will investigate in detail the cause of the malfunction and take corrective measures. It aims to launch a second H3 rocket as soon as possible.