A rocket launched by Taiwanese company TiSpace from Japan's northern Hokkaido island failed shortly after takeoff on Saturday, falling short of its goal to become the first foreign firm to complete a successful launch from Japanese soil.

The 12-metre hybrid-fuelled VP01 rocket, operated through TiSpace’s Japanese subsidiary jtSPACE, lifted off at 11:40 a.m. local time (0240 GMT) from the Hokkaido Spaceport. Its mission was to reach an altitude of 100 kilometres (62 miles), considered the boundary of outer space.

However, video from NHK showed the rocket’s flight becoming unstable within seconds of launch before it went into freefall and crashed within 1.2 kilometres of the site. TiSpace confirmed it terminated the flight early. No injuries or property damage were reported.

The test flight was intended to evaluate engine performance and trajectory control. A successful result would have been a major step toward launching Taiwanese-made satellites on domestically developed rockets.

Despite the setback, the launch marks a milestone in Japan's growing commercial space sector, which has recently opened up to foreign companies through public-private partnerships like the one in Hokkaido.

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