燃焼試験中に爆発、火災発生　イプシロンＳロケット―けが人なし・種子島宇宙センター

　２６日午前８時半ごろ、鹿児島県・種子島宇宙センターで宇宙航空研究開発機構（ＪＡＸＡ）が行っていた固体燃料ロケット「イプシロンＳ」の第２段の地上燃焼試験中に異常が起き、火災が発生した。ＪＡＸＡは試験を中止し、原因を調べている。けが人はいないという。
　イプシロンＳは２０２２年まで運用されていた３段式固体燃料ロケット「イプシロン」の改良型。第２段は打ち上げ能力向上のため、推進薬を１５トンから１８トンに増量するなどの変更が加えられている。（2024/11/26-16:03）

A fire broke out during a ground combustion test for the second-stage engine of a Japanese Epsilon S solid-fuel rocket at Tanegashima Space Center in the southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima on Tuesday morning.
   The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, started the test, which was scheduled to last for about two minutes, at 8:30 a.m. But it immediately halted the test after flames and smoke rose with an explosion sound.
   JAXA is investigating the cause of the fire. No injuries have been reported, it said.
   The Epsilon S is an improved version of the Epsilon three-stage solid-fuel rocket, which was in operation until 2022.
   The second-stage engine has been modified to improve the rocket's launch capabilities by increasing the amount of propellants from 15 tons to 18 tons and by sharing some propellant materials and a solid rocket booster with the larger liquid-fuel H3 rocket.