On July 14, a rocket engine exploded in Japan during a test of the Epsilon S launch vehicle, Reuters reports.
The explosion occurred at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) test site about a minute after the second stage engine was launched.
The cause of the explosion is still unknown and the investigation is ongoing.
The incident was captured by a camera broadcasting the launch on the Japanese TV channel NVSlive on YouTube.
In March 2023, JAXA’s new H-3 medium-lift rocket also failed during its debut flight. It received an order to self-destruct because the second stage engine did not ignite as planned.
This happened after the Epsilon-6 solid-fuel rocket also failed in October 2022.