Rocket Engine Fire Stalls Japan’s Ambitions to Launch Satellites

Japan halted an engine test for one of its flagship rockets after a fire broke out at the launch site on Tuesday, marking the latest setback in the country’s efforts to establish a foothold in the growing market for vehicles capable of launching satellites into orbit.

Japan’s space agency had been testing the engine combustion of its Epsilon S rocket when what it described as an “abnormality” occurred shortly after ignition. Footage from NHK, the public broadcaster, showed a blaze erupting at the test site in southwestern Japan.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, known as JAXA, said in a statement that there had been no reports of injuries or damage to the surrounding facilities. It was investigating he cause of the engine malfunction.

The failed test of JAXA’s Epsilon S rocket, codeveloped with Japanese heavy-industry manufacturer IHI, follows a similar issue in 2023 that led to months of reviews and delays. JAXA has previously said it planned to launch a demonstration model of the rocket by the end of March.

Japan’s bigger mainstay rocket, the H3, experienced several delays and a failed attempt before it was successfully launched into orbit earlier this year. The country’s first satellite launch attempted by a private company, the Tokyo-based startup Space One, failed after the rocket exploded shortly after liftoff in March.

Japan’s latest stumble comes amid a global surge in demand for satellites and the rockets needed to launch them into orbit. The market for satellite manufacturing and launch vehicles is expected to surpass $400 billion by the end of the decade, up from around $250 billion this year, according to Mordor Intelligence, a research and advisory firm.

Currently, the market for satellite launch