Tokyo - Saba:
A huge fire broke out this morning, Tuesday, at a site of the Japan Aerospace Agency during a test of the "Epsilon S" rocket at the Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan.
The Japanese NHK channel quoted the Japan Aerospace Agency as saying that the fire broke out during a test of the second stage of the "Epsilon S" rocket, which operates on solid fuel.
It indicated that firefighting teams are present at the scene of the accident, and that the space agency is now working to determine the causes and circumstances of the accident.
There were no reports of injuries, according to local police and fire departments.
This is the second accident related to an engine of this type of rocket. In July 2023, an explosion occurred at a test site in Akita Prefecture during a test of the second stage engine of the small "Epsilon S" rocket.
Japan intends to use this small rocket for commercial purposes, particularly to launch satellites from developing countries into orbit.
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