Large fire at Japan rocket test site, no injuries reported

A huge fire erupted Tuesday at a Japanese rocket testing station, sending flames and smoke soaring into the sky, in the latest mishap for the country's ambitious space programme.

There were no reports of any injuries in the incident, in a remote area of Kagoshima in southern Japan, where a solid-fuel Epsilon S rocket was being tested.

Footage on national broadcaster NHK showed towering balls of fire and white fumes rising from the Tanegashima Space Center.

Journalists stationed around 900 metres (yards) away reported a large explosion shortly after after the combustion test began at 8:30 am (2330 GMT).

"There was an abnormality during today's combustion test. We are trying to assess what happened," the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) told AFP in a statement.

"No injuries have been reported at this point. The cause is also under investigation."

The Asahi Shimbun daily reported that the agency's plan to launch the Epsilon S -- the successor to the Epsilon -- by March was now nearly impossible.

In July 2023 one engine of an Epsilon S exploded during a test around 50 seconds after ignition.

In that incident a piece of metal from the ignition melted and damaged the thermal insulator covering the engine, allowing fuel to catch fire, Kyodo News reported.

- String of setbacks -

That was one in a string of setbacks for Japan's space programme, including launch attempts for its next-generation H3 launch system.

JAXA managed a successful blast-off in February this year for the H3, which has been mooted as a rival to SpaceX's Falcon 9.

But that followed a failed attempt in February 2023 when the ignition process failed. The following month a destruct command was issued shortly after blast-off.

"Including the Epsilon S, the development of flagship rockets is extremely important for the independence of Japan's space development programme," top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters at a regular briefing on Tuesday.

In January, Japan successfully landed an unmanned probe on the Moon -- albeit at a crooked angle -- making it just the fifth country to achieve a soft landing on the lunar surface.

But in March a rocket made by a private Japanese company exploded seconds after launch.

Tokyo-based Space One's 18-metre (60-foot) Kairos rocket blasted off in the coastal Wakayama region of western Japan, carrying a small government test satellite.

Around five seconds later, the solid-fuel rocket erupted in fire, sending white smoke billowing around the remote mountainous area as orange flames raged on the ground, live footage showed.

Burning debris fell onto the surrounding slopes as sprinklers began spraying water, in dramatic scenes watched by hundreds of spectators gathered at public viewing areas including a nearby waterfront.

Space One said at the time that it had taken the decision to "abort the flight" and details were being investigated.