JAXA: Launch of Epsilon S rocket within fiscal 2024 impossible

Dec 06 (NHK) - Japan's space agency has acknowledged that it cannot stick to its plan to launch, by the end of March 2025, what it hopes will be one of the country's mainstay rockets. An explosion occurred during a combustion test for the Epsilon S small solid-fuel rocket last week.

Officials at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, held a news conference on Thursday. They outlined what its investigative team has so far found out about the cause of the explosion. The blast happened at the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture on November 26.

The officials said detailed analyses of footage and other information showed that some of the combustion gas was not emanating from the nozzle it was supposed to come out of, but rather from a different area.

But the officials said it is not clear whether the leak led to the explosion.

The officials added that an ignition device did not melt. JAXA had earlier said that a part of the device had melted and led to an explosion during a similar test in Akita Prefecture in July of last year. The agency said it took steps to prevent a recurrence before last month's blast.

JAXA Vice President Okada Masashi is the head of the investigative team. He said it would be difficult for the agency to build a launch engine by the end of the current fiscal year, as it first has to identify the cause of the latest explosion, restore the test facilities and then successfully carry out a combustion test.

Japan Welcomes New Generation of Adults

Ceremonies celebrating those turning 20 were held across Japan on January 12th, with events taking place nationwide to mark Coming of Age Day.

China Begins Restricting Rare Earth Exports to Japan, U.S. Paper Reports

The Wall Street Journal reported on January 8th, citing two Chinese exporters, that the Chinese government has started imposing limits on shipments of rare earths and related materials bound for Japan.

JAXA’s Oldest Astronaut Set for Long-Term Stay on ISS

Osamu Suwa, an astronaut with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), is set to undertake his first long-term stay aboard the International Space Station, becoming the eighth Japanese astronaut to do so.

Kyoto Student Crowned First Lucky Man

A traditional New Year event known as the “Lucky Man Selection,” in which participants compete to be the first to pray for the new year, was held on January 10th at Nishinomiya Shrine in Hyogo Prefecture, the head shrine of “Ebessan,” the deity of prosperous business.

N-BOX Tops Japan’s New Car Sales for Fourth Straight Year

According to vehicle-by-model new car sales figures released on January 8th by the Japan Automobile Dealers Association and the National Light Motor Vehicle Association, the best-selling vehicle in Japan in 2025 was Honda’s light vehicle N-BOX, marking its fourth consecutive year at the top of the rankings.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Sci-Tech NEWS

Recycling Metal With Electromagnetic Waves

The steel industry has long supported the backbone of global industry and economic growth, but at the same time it accounts for more than 10 percent of worldwide CO2 emissions, making decarbonization an urgent challenge.

Stranded Whale Unearthed in Osaka Bay for Museum Display

A male whale measuring about 15 meters in length and weighing roughly 32 tons, which strayed into Osaka Bay and died in January 2024, was excavated from the site where it had been buried. The operation was carried out over two days, during which the whale’s bones were gradually uncovered.

Tottori and Shimane Quake Triggers Liquefaction

More than a day after a strong earthquake struck Tottori and Shimane prefectures on January 6th, with a maximum seismic intensity of upper 5, disruptions including water outages are still affecting local communities.

Maglev Tunnel Construction Blamed for Road Uplift

A road uplift that occurred in a Tokyo neighborhood is believed to have been caused by construction work on the Linear Chuo Shinkansen, with JR Central saying the tunnel excavation was likely responsible for the surface damage.

H3 Rocket No. 8 Launch Fails After Second-Stage Engine Cuts Off Early

The H3 Rocket No. 8 was launched at 10:51 a.m. on December 22 from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, but the mission ended in failure after the rocket was unable to place its onboard satellite into its planned orbit.

Rapidus Unveils New Glass-Based Semiconductor Substrate

Rapidus President Koike has unveiled what the company says is the world’s first next-generation semiconductor substrate measuring 600 millimeters on each side, marking a significant step forward for Japan’s emerging chipmaker.

H3 Rocket Launch Halted Seconds Before Liftoff

The launch of Japan’s H3 Rocket No. 8 was aborted just seconds before liftoff on December 17th at the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture after an abnormality was detected in ground equipment, prompting an automatic halt to the countdown 17 seconds before launch.

Experts Warn Hokkaido Kelp May Vanish

With just over two weeks remaining in 2025, preparations are in full swing for osechi, the elaborately prepared New Year’s dishes that line Japanese dining tables each year, but few may realize that one of osechi’s most essential ingredients is now facing an unprecedented crisis. Experts are issuing stark warnings that, at a realistic level, kelp could disappear from Hokkaido by the end of this century, raising concerns that extend far beyond holiday cuisine and into the very foundations of Japanese food culture.

< 2 3 4 5 >