Fire breaks out during rocket test at Japan's space center
China DailyTOKYO -- A fire broke out on Tuesday during a combustion test of the solid-fuel small rocket Epsilon S at Japan's Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, local media reported. The incident occurred around 8:30 am local time during a combustion test of the second stage of the Epsilon S. The test was planned to last approximately 120 seconds, but a fire broke out at the test site, prompting firefighting efforts, national broadcaster NHK cited information from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Tuesday's test followed a similar combustion test in Akita Prefecture in July 2023, which ended in an explosion caused by a damaged pressure vessel. After identifying the cause as a melted ignition component damaging insulation material, JAXA implemented countermeasures for the Tanegashima trial.