Japan’s new rocket engine explodes again during tests

According to officials, an explosion occurred on November 26 during a test of the second stage motor of Japan’s Epsilon S rocket. The engine failure, which occurred at the Tanegashima Space Center, has caused uncertainty about the rocket’s development schedule. The Epsilon S was expected to debut in March 2025 with the launch of a Vietnamese satellite, but the incident casts doubt on its readiness.

Investigate to determine the cause

The explosion, which occurred 49 seconds after the engine test, was the second such incident involving this design in less than two years. A similar test failure in July 2023 at JAXA’s Noshiro Rocket Testing Center resulted according to reports from The Asahi Shimbun.

In response to the explosion, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) officials announced plans to launch an investigation in an official statement. The cause of the malfunction is still unknown. Takayuki Imoto, project manager for the Epsilon S program, expressed his regret at a press conference reported by Kyodo News.

He said they deeply regret not being able to meet expectations. He added that they can learn from failures and will use this opportunity as a lesson to develop a more reliable rocket.

Significance of Epsilon S for the Japanese space program

The Epsilon S rocket is positioned as a key vehicle to increase Japan’s presence in low Earth orbit. Japanese Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, speaking to reporters, emphasized the importance of flagship rockets for the country’s space autonomy, as reported by the Associated Press.

This setback is part of a broader set of challenges for JAXA. The agency has suffered several high-profile failures, including the first launch of its H3 rocket in 2023 and problems with its SLIM lunar lander earlier this year.