Rocket Engine Explodes Mid-Test in Japan’s Latest Space Mishap

Smoke rises as an engine for an Epsilon S rocket exploded during a test at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's testing site in Noshiro, Akita Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on July 14, 2023. Kyodo News via AP

An engine being designed for Japan’s Epsilon S space rocket exploded during testing, in the latest mishap for the nation’s space program.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), has been making efforts to launch advanced rockets, to compete with Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

JAXA had previously aborted the inaugural launch of its Mitsubishi-built, next-generation H3 liquid fuel rocket in March via a self-destruct command after the second-stage engine failed to ignite.

Crowded Satellite Launch Market

The engine was being tested at a facility in Noshiro, Akita Prefecture on July 14, when it exploded around 9 a.m. Tokyo time, about 57 seconds into the trial, said the JAXA.

Flames were reported to have shot out of the engine, which exploded with a band and spewed a massive plume of white smoke into the air that turned black as the object continued to burn.

Global media and space enthusiasts had gathered earlier to watch outside the research building, at the Noshiro Testing Center.

The explosion blew off the roof and a part of the outer walls of the building, causing a fire, which was extinguished roughly two hours after the initial blast.

Footage aired by Japan’s public broadcaster NHK, showed a building near the water, being engulfed in flames and plumes of smoke.

No one was reported injured in the explosion, reported government officials and police, but NHK reported that it was heard several kilometers away.

Improved Rockets Suffer Failures, Worrying Japanese Space Agency

JAXA has been developing the Epsilon S as the successor to the current Epsilon series of rockets and to make Japan more competitive in the booming satellite launch market, but the latest failure could potentially slow progress.

The first rocket in the Epsilon series was launched in 2013, followed by five successful missions.

Then in October 2022, an Epsilon-6 rocket was ordered to self-destruct in an aborted launch, after the vehicle deviated from its intended trajectory.

After JAXA failed to launch the replacement vehicle for its previous H2A design in March, space missions were again delayed for months.

The following month, Tokyo-based startup Ispace attempted to land a robotic lander on the moon, but the mission failed after contact was lost, causing the company’s shares to plunge.

The two failures led the space agency to postpone the launch of the Epsilon S from the fiscal year beginning in April to fiscal 2024 since it uses the same fuel tank as the Epsilon-6 design.

Epsilon rockets utilize solid fuel instead of relying on liquid propellants, as it enables the space agency to simplify preparations and speed up launch times.

Shares of IHI Corp., which owns the development firm for the Epsilon S, saw shares plunge after the engine failure.