| M 5 | |
|---|---|
| Launch vehicle | M 5 |
| Launch site | Kagoshima Space Centre, Kagoshima, Kyushu, Japan |
| Date/Time | 2000-02-10 01:30 |
| Description | First stage failure |
| Cause | Fatigue |
| Payload | Astro E (X-ray observatory, NASDA, Japan) |
| Desired orbit | circular, approximately 550 kilometers |
|
Officials with Japan's Institute of Space and Astronautical Science blamed a crack in a first-stage engine nozzle for the failure. The rocket veered off course and lost speed. |
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