On Friday, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) revealed that data related to one of its newest rockets - Epsilon rocket system - was being sent out of the space agency to unidentified persons, from a malware-infected desktop computer.

According to JAXA, information on the Epsilon rocket system was being secretly collected with the help of a virus that infected a computer at the Tsukuba Space Center northeast of Tokyo.

JAXA further said that it was on November 21 that the malware was detected by antivirus software; and added that the stolen information was being sent outside the space agency.

Disclosing that the detection of malware on a desktop computer prompted a security sweep of all the agency's computers, JAXA said that no other system was found to be infected; and added that it is yet to be ascertained whether the pilfering of information on the Epsilon rocket - for the development of which JAXA has spent ¥15billion - was a targeted cyber-attack for espionage purposes.

With the first launch of the Epsilon rocket system scheduled for next autumn, the program pertaining to the under-development solid-fuel rocket essentially aims at launch satellite and space probes, but the Epsilon technology has also apparently interested the governments all over the world because of solid-fuel rockets' potential military use as intercontinental ballistic missiles.