An explosion occurred during a test of the second stage engine of Japan’s Epsilon S rocket on November 26, according to officials. Engine failure, which occurred at Tanegashima space Centerplaced uncertainty on rocket’s Development programme. The Epsilon S was expected to debut in March 2025, coinciding with the Vietnamese launch satelliteBut this incident raises doubts on its preparation.
investigation to determine cause
The explosion, which occurred 49 seconds into the engine test, is the second such incident involving this design in less than two years. A similar test failure at JAXA’s Noshiro Rocket Test Center in July 2023 resulted in significant damage to the facility, according to reports From Asahi Shimbun.
In response to the explosion, officials from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (jaxa) announced plans to launch an investigation in an official statement. The cause of the malfunction remains unknown. Takayuki Emoto, project manager of the Epsilon S program, expressed regret during a press conference, because informed By Kyodo News.
He said that he is very sad for not being able to live up to the expectations. He further said that they could learn from the failure and would use this opportunity as a lesson to develop more reliable rockets.
Significance of Epsilon S for Japan’s space program
The Epsilon S rocket is positioned as a key vehicle to increase Japan’s presence in earth’s orbitJapanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, speaking to reporters, stressed the importance of key rockets to the country’s space autonomy, the Associated Press reported.
The setback is part of a broader series of challenges for JAXA. The agency has faced several high-profile failures, including the first launch of its H3 rocket in 2023 and problems with its SLIM lunar lander earlier this year.