No casualties caused, explosion improvement during Japanese rocket engine testing | Rocket | Engine
The engine of Japan's new rocket Epsilon S exploded and caught fire during testing on the 14th, causing no casualties.
Multiple Japanese media reported that around 9am on the same day, the above-mentioned rocket engine exploded during ignition testing at the Nengdai Rocket Test Site located in Akita Prefecture, northern Japan by the Japan Aerospace Exploration and Development Agency.
The report stated that the rocket's second stage engine underwent ignition testing, which was originally planned to last for 119 seconds, but combustion abnormalities occurred 57 seconds after ignition. The fire truck quickly dispatched without any casualties.
The Epsilon S is an improved version of the Epsilon rocket, planned for its first launch in 2024.
Epsilon is a solid fuel rocket with a total length of 26 meters and a weight of approximately 96 tons. It has low cost, strong launch maneuverability, and is considered to have the potential to develop into a ballistic missile. Last October, an Epsilon rocket malfunctioned during takeoff, and ground control personnel issued a self destruction order to it.