Japan halted an engine test for one of its flagship rockets after a fire broke out at the launch site on Tuesday, marking the latest setback in the country’s efforts to establish a foothold in the growing market for vehicles capable of launching satellites into orbit.

       Japan’s space agency had been testing the engine combustion of its Epsilon S rocket when what it described as an “abnormality” occurred shortly after ignition. Footage from NHK, the public broadcaster, showed a blaze erupting at the test site in southwestern Japan.

       The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, known as JAXA, said in a statement that there had been no reports of injuries or damage to the surrounding facilities. It was investigating he cause of the engine malfunction.

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