TOKYO(AP) -- A Japanese rocket carrying two spy satellites for monitoring North Korea failed to reachorbit Saturday and had to be destroyed, space officials said, a blow to Japan'sspace program.

The launch of the H2-A rocket had been delayed three timessince Sept. 10 because of technical glitches.

Japan'sspace agency JAXA said one of the two rocket boosters had malfunctioned, makingit impossible for the rocket to obtain sufficient height and speed to reachorbit. That prompted the space agency to order the rocket blown up 10 minutesafter liftoff.

"There was no chance of the mission being accomplished,so we destroyed the rocket," JAXA President ShuichiroYamanouchi told a news conference.

"It is extremely regrettable we failed this importantmission," Yamanouchi said, bowing deeply. ``We are very sorry.''

The agency set up a team of engineers and executives toinvestigate what caused the failure.

Saturday's launch was kept under tight security, with theusual live film coverage of the liftoff banned because of the sensitivity ofthe payload.

Tokyosent its first two spy satellites into space in March as part of a $2 billionsurveillance project to keep watch on North Korea's missile andnuclear programs. The move prompted protests from Pyongyang,which warned Tokyoagainst triggering a regional arms race.

Japanese officials say the program was prompted by North Korea's surprise testlaunch of a long-range missile over Japan'smain island in 1998.

The satellites, the officials say, are not meant as aprovocation and would also be used for other missions such as monitoringnatural disasters and weather patterns.

Saturday's failure will likely complicate Japan'sspace ambitions.

"It's very unfortunate, as our country needs to boostintelligence capability to increase readiness for natural disasters and securenational security,'' Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumisaid in a statement. ``We will quickly, strictly and thoroughly study the causeand consider what further actions to take." The government had planned toput eight spy satellites in orbit through 2006.

The satellites have faced criticism at home from those whofear they go against a long-standing policy of conducting only nonmilitaryspace missions.

Japanhad also hoped that the H2-A, meant to be a cheaper and more reliablereplacement for its predecessor, the H-2, would boost the country's commerciallaunch business. But it is still seen as too expensive to compete with European,Russian and American rivals.

Prior to the aborted mission, the two-stage H2-A, developedat a cost of $78 million, had five straight successful launches since its firstlaunch in August 2002.

But analysts say Japanmay need as many as six successful back-to-back launches before it winsinsurance coverage for commercial missions.

The H2 had also performed flawlessly five times in a rowbefore misfiring on its sixth launch and blowing up on its seventh. The snafusprompted U.S.-based Hughes Space and Communications International to drop anorder for 10 satellite launches with Japan.

The H2-A has not yet carried any commercial payloads. LastDecember, it carried its first international payload, when it lifted off withan Australian research satellite.