TOKYO, November 26. /TASS/. A fire has broken out during the testing of Japan's Epsilon S rocket engine, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a regular press conference.

According to him, the incident occurred during the test of the fuel burnout process. "According to the data we have received, there were no casualties as a result of the incident," he noted. Hayashi added that aerospace development is crucial for Japan and promised that the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will conduct a thorough investigation.

JAXA, for its part, said that the incident occurred during an engine test at the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture. An explosion occurred during fuel burnout, causing a fire.

The three-stage solid-fuel Epsilon series rocket was developed by JAXA in cooperation with Japan's IHI Aircraft Corporation. Japan has been using such rockets to launch small satellites since 2013, with the Epsilon S being the latest modification.