Japan’s space agency has suspended combustion tests of its Epsilon S rocket engine after a fire broke out at the site on Tuesday. There are no reports of injuries yet.
The incident happened at that time Tanegashima Space Center In southwestern Japan, footage showed flames erupting shortly after the test began, followed by an explosion.
Local police and fire departments have confirmed that the situation is under investigation.
The Epsilon S rocket, part of Japan’s Small Rocket Development Program, is being developed by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa) in collaboration with IHI Corporation’s aerospace unit as the next-generation model of the Epsilon series.
The Epsilon S rocket was scheduled to make its maiden flight in March by the end of this fiscal year. The Epsilon S, part of Japan’s effort to develop a cost-competitive small rocket, has been plagued by delays, including the failure of a previous engine test 16 months ago.
Jaxa’s flagship H3 rocket, developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, also suffered a failure during its first launch last year but has since completed three successful missions, including a Japanese satellite and a French This includes launches for international customers such as satellite company Eutelsat.