An engine for Japan's Epsilon S space rocket burst during testing, the latest setback for the country's space program.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has been working on enhanced rocket launches to compete with Elon Musk's SpaceX.
JAXA previously canceled the first launch of its Mitsubishi-built, next-generation H3 liquid fuel rocket in March by issuing a self-destruct command when the second-stage engine failed to ignite.
On July 14, the engine burst while being tested at a facility in Noshiro, Akita Prefecture. Tokyo time, around 57 seconds into the experiment, according to the JAXA.
Flames were said to have flown from the engine, which erupted with a bang and blasted a tremendous plume of white smoke into the air, which became black as the thing burned.
Global media and space fans had gathered earlier to observe from outside the Noshiro Testing Center research facility.
The explosion blasted off the roof and a portion of the building's exterior walls, resulting in a fire extinguishing around two hours after the original impact.
NHK, Japan's state channel, released footage of a structure near the lake that was engulfed in flames and clouds of smoke.
The explosion caused no injuries, according to government authorities and police, although it was heard several kilometers away, according to NHK.
The Epsilon S rocket has been developed by JAXA to be the successor to the present Epsilon series of rockets and to make Japan more competitive in the burgeoning satellite launch industry, but the recent failure might potentially stall development.
The first Epsilon rocket was launched in 2013, and it was followed by five successful missions.
Then, in October 2022, an Epsilon-6 rocket was ordered to self-destruct after the spacecraft diverted from its original course during an attempted launch.
After JAXA failed to launch the replacement vehicle for its prior H2A design in March, space missions were postponed for many months.
The following month, Tokyo-based firm Ispace attempted to place a robotic lander on the moon, but the operation failed due to a loss of communication, leading the company's stock to plummet.
Because the Epsilon S employs the same fuel tank as the Epsilon-6 design, the space agency postponed its launch from the fiscal year beginning in April to fiscal 2024.
Epsilon rockets use solid fuel rather than liquid propellants, allowing the space agency to simplify preparations and accelerate launch times.
Following the engine failure, shares of IHI Corp., which owns the Epsilon S development business, plummeted.
