The Japanese space agency JAXA has suffered a major setback. On Tuesday, an explosion occurred during testing of the Epsilon S rocket engine, causing a fire. This accident may further delay the country’s space program. The agency said the goal was to launch the rocket at the end of March, but it may now be delayed by months.
What happened during the test?
During the test, the second stage engine exploded 49 seconds after ignition, causing a fire. This incident occurred at the Tanegashima Space Center located in southwestern Japan. It is fortunate that there were no casualties in this accident. However, the explosion caused damage to the center and it took about an hour to extinguish the fire.
The reason is still unclear
Takayuki Emoto, JAXA project director, said: ‘We regret that we could not live up to expectations. But the good thing is that this problem came to light during the ground test, before the flight. He also said the investigation into this incident and necessary improvements may take several months.
repeated failures
This test of the Epsilon S rocket engine also previously failed. In July last year, a test failed due to a fault in the ignition system. Previously, the launch of the previous generation Epsilon rocket in 2022 was also unsuccessful.
JAXA’s impact on the space program
JAXA has built this rocket in collaboration with IHI Aerospace. Following Tuesday’s incident, IHI shares fell 7% on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. A company spokesperson said they are investigating the incident.
JAXA’s second major rocket series, the H3, manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, has made three successful launches this year. But due to the repeated failures of Epsilon S, the Japanese space program faces continued delays.
