In November, Japan had to destroy its sixth H-2A rocket just 10 minutes after lift-off as one of its two rocket boosters failed to separate from the fuselage in the second phase of the flight.

The space agency pointed out the hole in the nozzle caused a fuel gas leak, preventing the booster from separating from the main rocket body, Kyodo News agency said.

A spokesman for the space agency could not be reached for confirmation.

The failed launch of the H-2A rocket, which is central to Japan's space program, could cast a shadow over the country's ambitions to lead Asia's space race, especially following China's successful manned space flight in October, experts have warned.

Japan has sent up five domestically-developed H-2A rockets and aims to double its payload capacity in about four years under a 20-billion-yen (185-million-dollar) project.

The fifth launch of the H-2A rocket in March carried the nation's first spy satellites to monitor North Korea.

Japan's spy satellite project, worth 250 billion yen, was intended as a response to North Korea's firing of a suspected Taepodong ballistic missile over Japan into the Pacific Ocean in August 1998 -- a move that sent shockwaves around the region.

SPACE.WIRE