Japan rocket engine explodes during test: official

A Japanese rocket engine exploded throughout a take a look at on Friday, an official mentioned, within the newest blow to the nation’s space company.

The Epsilon S—an improved model of the Epsilon rocket that didn’t launch in October—blew up “roughly 50 seconds after ignition”, science and expertise ministry official Naoya Takegami informed AFP.

The testing website within the northern prefecture of Akita was engulfed in flames and an enormous plume of grey smoke rose into the sky, footage from nationwide broadcaster NHK confirmed.

“To date we now have obtained no experiences of accidents” from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Company (JAXA), which was investigating the reason for the explosion, Takegami mentioned.

The malfunction comes after Tokyo in March noticed its second try to launch its next-generation H3 rocket fail after liftoff, and after the failed launch of the solid-fuel Epsilon in October.

That was Japan’s first failed launch in practically twenty years, and the one one for an Epsilon rocket, a mannequin that has flown 5 profitable missions since its 2013 debut.

In each incidents, JAXA was pressured to ship self-destruct orders to the rockets.

The Epsilon is smaller than the nation’s earlier liquid-fuelled mannequin and a successor to the solid-fuel “M-5” rocket that was retired in 2006 because of its excessive price.

JAXA mentioned in Could that the reason for the failed launch in October was a defect in pipes that carry gas.

Japan plans to launch the Epsilon S rocket subsequent 12 months.

The nation’s space program is without doubt one of the world’s largest, and in October JAXA astronaut Koichi Wakata flew to the Worldwide House Station as a part of the Crew-5 mission.

© 2023 AFP