The Japanese space start-up Interstellar Technologies failed to reach space with its latest small rocket launch early Sunday (June 14). 

The crowdfunded sounding rocket, called Momo-F5, lifted off from a pad in Taiki Town, Hokkaido at 5:15 a.m. JST on Sunday (4:15 p.m. EDT on Saturday, June 13). Shortly after liftoff, the rocket suffered an anomaly, forcing Interstellar Technologies to issue an abort command that sent the booster crashing into the Pacific Ocean. 

Interstellar Technologies representatives said they terminated the launch about 70 seconds after liftoff once it became clear the Momo-F5 rocket had suffered a failure, according to a Google translation of a report to crowdfunding supporters on the Japanese website Campfire. About 36 seconds after liftoff, debris was spotted falling from the rocket's engine nozzle, they added.

You can watch a video of the launch from NVS-Neko Video Visual Solutions and the Tokachi Mainichi newspaper below. The liftoff occurs at the 45-minute mark and is followed by replays. The debris event is visible from the ground as a brief flash near the engine after liftoff.