(Bloomberg) -- Japan’s lightweight rocket failed its second test run after catching fire Tuesday in the latest setback for the country’s space program.
The Epsilon S rocket’s second-stage engine suffered a malfunction 49 seconds into a ground test Tuesday morning local time at Tanegashima Space Center in the southeastern Kagoshima Prefecture, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said in a statement.
A live feed from Japan’s national broadcaster showed plumes of smoke rising from the site. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire has yet to be determined, the agency said.
The incident sent shares in the rocket’s manufacturers tumbling. IHI Corp., which co-developed the rocket with JAXA, fell as much as 7% in early trading.
The Epsilon is scheduled to make its debut launch in March next year, but the failed test — its second following a similar incident last year — could trigger further delays in the program.
JAXA has been pushing to increase the launch frequency of its flagship rockets. In addition to the Epsilon, the agency has also developed a heavy payload rocket, the H3, which made its inaugural voyage in February this year.
Still, Japanese rockets are struggling to catch up with Elon Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies Corp., more commonly known as SpaceX, which is launching more than 100 rockets a year, including those that are reusable.
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