The engine for a flagship new small Japanese rocket burst into flames Tuesday during a combustion test, but there was no injury or damage to the outside, officials said. The second failure in a row raises concern about the progress of the Epsilon S rocket,

Japan's space agency has halted an engine combustion test of its Epsilon S rocket, a spokesperson said on Tuesday, after a fire broke out at the test site, 16 months after another failed engine test derailed Japan's small rocket development.

We will take advantage of this opportunity to develop a more reliable rocket." A test of an engine for Japan's upcoming Epsilon rocket ended in an explosion on Tuesday (Nov. 26), the second time in less than two years that this engine has met an untimely end during testing.