Rocket engine explodes during test by Japan's space agency

An engine being developed for use in the Epsilon S small rocket exploded Friday at a testing facility in Akita Prefecture, in another setback for the Japanese space agency's efforts to launch advanced rockets.

No one was injured in the large explosion at the Noshiro Testing Center, according to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and police. Many media and space enthusiasts had gathered to watch outside the research building, The Japan Times reports.

The incident occurred about one minute after the ground test for the second-stage engine began at the building. The engine suddenly spat flames and exploded with a roar, spewing a massive plume of white smoke into the air that turned black as the inferno continued.

The explosion blew off the roof and a part of the outer walls of the building. The fire at the building was extinguished by firefighters roughly two hours after the initial blast, which occurred at around 9 a.m.

JAXA is developing the Epsilon S as the successor to the current Epsilon series to enhance the country's competitiveness in the growing satellite launch market, but the latest explosion could potentially slow progress.

The first rocket in the series blasted off in 2013, and there were successful launches of five models before an Epsilon-6 was ordered to self-destruct in 2022 after it deviated from its intended trajectory.

The failure led the agency to postpone the launch of the Epsilon S from the fiscal year that began in April to fiscal 2024, as it uses the same fuel tank as the Epsilon-6.

Epsilon series rockets utilize solid fuel, simplifying launch preparations compared with those that require the loading of liquid propellants.

JAXA's new flagship H3 rocket, successor to the H2A rocket, was also ordered to self-destruct in March minutes after its second-stage engine failed to ignite.

That was the second attempt following one the previous month that was aborted moments before blastoff due to malfunctioning electronics.