JAXA identifies cause of Epsilon-S solid-fueled engine failure during test
Japan’s space agency JAXA has now identified the cause of the explosion that destroyed an Epsilon-S solid-fueled engine during a static fire test in July.
The explanation at the link is somewhat unclear, but the bottom line is that the failure was caused “by the melting and scattering of a metal part from the ignition device inside the engine.”
JAXA is working on a fix to prevent the part from melting, but the report provides no timeline on when the next Epsilon launch will occur. Nor do we know when Japan’s larger new rocket, the H3, will launch next as well, having failed during its first launch in the spring. At the moment, Japan is essentially out of the game.
Japan’s space agency JAXA has now identified the cause of the explosion that destroyed an Epsilon-S solid-fueled engine during a static fire test in July.
The explanation at the link is somewhat unclear, but the bottom line is that the failure was caused “by the melting and scattering of a metal part from the ignition device inside the engine.”
JAXA is working on a fix to prevent the part from melting, but the report provides no timeline on when the next Epsilon launch will occur. Nor do we know when Japan’s larger new rocket, the H3, will launch next as well, having failed during its first launch in the spring. At the moment, Japan is essentially out of the game.