Japan's space agency had to destroy a rocket after a launch Tuesday because its second stage engine failed to start.
日本航天局不得不在周二发射后摧毁一枚火箭，因为它的二级发动机无法启动。
 
The 60-meter-tall rocket is called the H3. It is Japan's first new rocket in more than 20 years.
60 米高的火箭称为 H3。这是日本20多年来首次研制的新型火箭。
 
The misfire was the second rocket problem for the agency in the last three weeks.
失火是该机构在过去三周内遇到的第二个火箭问题。
 
The H3 rocket blasted off from a launch area at the Tanegashima Space Center on an island in southern Japan. However, a problem happened in the rocket's second stage. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency explained that the ignition for the second stage failed, and the rocket would not have made it into orbit.
H3 火箭从日本南部岛屿种子岛航天中心的发射区发射升空。然而，火箭的第二级出现了问题。日本宇宙航空研究开发机构解释说，第二级点火失败，火箭无法进入轨道。
 
The agency, known as JAXA, said it destroyed the rocket 14 minutes into its flight because it could not continue.
被称为 JAXA 的机构表示，它在火箭飞行 14 分钟后摧毁了它，因为它无法继续飞行。
 
Yasuhiro Funo is the JAXA launch director. He said the rocket was unsafe at that point and had to be destroyed. It fell into the sea off the eastern coast of the Philippines.
Yasuhiro Funo 是 JAXA 的发射主管。他说火箭当时不安全，必须销毁。它落入菲律宾东海岸附近的海域。
 
The rocket carried an Earth observation satellite called ALOS-3. It included a special infrared sensor that could follow military activity such as missile launches.
火箭携带一颗名为 ALOS-3 的地球观测卫星。它包括一个特殊的红外传感器，可以跟踪导弹发射等军事活动。
 
JAXA also had a problem six months ago with a different kind of rocket.
六个月前，JAXA 的另一种火箭也遇到了问题。
 
The H3 rocket launch had a two-year delay because of an engine problem. JAXA leaders said more study is needed to prevent future problems.
由于发动机问题，H3 火箭的发射推迟了两年。JAXA 领导人表示需要进行更多研究以防止未来出现问题。
 
Hiroshi Yamakawa is JAXA's President. He said his agency needs to "figure out what we should do to successfully achieve the next launch."
Hiroshi Yamakawa 是 JAXA 的总裁。他说他的机构需要“弄清楚我们应该做什么才能成功实现下一次发射。”
 
JAXA spent over $1 billion on the H3, the agency's first new rocket in 22 years. It follows the H-2A, which will no longer be used after its upcoming 50th launch. The H3 rocket is smaller but can carry larger loads and is less costly per launch.
JAXA 在 H3 上花费了超过 10 亿美元，这是该机构 22 年来的第一枚新火箭。它沿用了 H-2A，在即将进行的第 50次发射后将不再使用。H3 火箭体积更小，但可以运载更大的载荷，而且每次发射的成本更低。
 
Hirotaka Watanabe is a professor at Osaka University. He studies space policy. He spoke with Reuters about the future.
Hirotaka Watanabe 是大阪大学的教授。他研究太空政策。他与路透社谈到了未来。
 
"This will have a serious impact on Japan's future space policy, space business and technological competitiveness," he said.
“这将对日本未来的太空政策、太空业务和技术竞争力产生严重影响，”他说。