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full screen It is the second time that the Epsilon S engine type has exploded during a test. Photo: Kyodo News Via AP/TT
A Japanese-made space rocket engine exploded during a test at a space base on the island of Tanegashima in southern Japan on Tuesday.
There were no reports of injuries in the incident, which is the latest setback for the country’s ambitious space program.
Pictures show smoke and fireballs from the journalists’ vantage point at a reasonable distance.
It is the second time that the Epsilon S engine type has exploded during a test, according to the Kyodo news agency. Last time, last year, the breakdown was caused by a melted piece of metal.
The engine is intended to improve Japan’s position in the satellite market.