Japan rocket engine explodes during test: official

A Japanese rocket engine exploded during a test on Friday in the latest blow to the country's space agency. The Epsilon S -- an improved version of the Epsilon rocket that failed to launch in October -- blew up "roughly 50 seconds after ignition".

The testing site in the northern prefecture of Akita was engulfed in flames and a huge plume of grey smoke rose into the sky. The malfunction comes after Tokyo in March saw its second attempt to launch its next-generation H3 rocket fail after liftoff, and after the failed launch of the solid-fuel Epsilon in October.