Private space firm closing in on last test of groundbreaking methane and liquid oxygen-fuelled rocket

The rocket’s failure dealt a blow to Japan’s efforts to cut the cost of accessing space and compete against Elon Musk's SpaceX

The rocket's entire main-core stage has reached low orbit and is expected to tumble back toward Earth once atmospheric friction drags it downward, possibly on Sunday

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, launched the S-520-RD rocket at 5am Tokyo time from southwestern Japan