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Japan's space agency halts Epsilon S rocket engine test after fire

Japan's area company terminated an engine test for the Epsilon S rocket on Tuesday following a. fire at the test site, a failure that might push the rocket's. launching launch beyond the Marchend target and cause even more. hold-ups in the nationwide space programme.

A surge might be heard and a blaze might be seen. soon after the ground combustion test started at the. Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan, according to. footage from public broadcaster NHK.

The Japan Aerospace Expedition Agency (JAXA) said the. engine test experienced a combustion abnormality 49 seconds. after the ignition. It said there was no indication of injury or. damage to the outdoors center.

JAXA will perform a thorough investigation into the cause. of the problem and consider countermeasures, Chief Cabinet. Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi stated at a routine press instruction.

Hayashi, the leading federal government representative, stated rocket. advancement is very important to guarantee the autonomy of. Japan's space program.

JAXA partnered with the aerospace system of heavy equipment. maker IHI to establish Epsilon S, the next generation in. the Epsilon solid-fuel small rocket series. Shares in IHI were down as much as 6% in Tokyo trade. An IHI. Aerospace spokesperson said the company is examining the. cause.

Epsilon S's debut flight was slated by the end of the fiscal. year through March 31 depending on the success of Tuesday's. engine test.

The test was performed after previous failures triggered. months of investigation that have actually postponed space objectives and. satellite launch strategies.

In July in 2015, an Epsilon S engine test failed due to. thermal damage to its ignition systems. That followed a launch. failure in 2022.

JAXA's bigger flagship rocket H3, constructed by Mitsubishi Heavy. Industries, stopped working at its very first launch last year but. has been successful in 3 flights this year, launching Japanese. satellites and winning orders consisting of from French satellite. operator Eutelsat.

The H3 and Epsilon S are central to JAXA's ambition to develop. cost-competitive rockets amidst the rise of American commercial. launch suppliers such as market leader SpaceX and little rocket. maker Rocket Lab.

In the private sector, IHI-backed Space One is set to. try the second launch of its Kairos small rocket on Dec. 14. after the very first flight blew up in March. It intends to become the. first Japanese organization to put a satellite in orbit.

(source: Reuters)