Gongyi, China – A Chinese rocket crashed during a ground test on Sunday, according to a statement from its manufacturer, Space Pioneer.
The incident occurred when the first stage of the Tianlong-3 rocket detached from its launch pad due to a structural failure. The rocket landed in a hilly area of Gongyi, a city in central China.
“Due to the structural failure of the connection between the rocket body and the test platform, the first-stage rocket was separated from the launch pad,” said Space Pioneer, also known as Beijing Tianbing Technology. “After liftoff, the onboard computer was automatically shut down, and the rocket fell into the deep mountains 1.5 kilometers [0.9 miles] southwest of the test platform. The rocket body fell into the mountain and disintegrated.”
No injuries were reported as people in the area were evacuated in advance of the test.
Space Pioneer is a leading company in the commercial rocket industry, specializing in liquid-propellant rockets. In April 2023, it successfully launched its Tianlong-2 rocket, making it China’s first commercial launch operator to send a liquid carrier rocket into space and successfully enter orbit, according to state media.
The Tianlong-3, the rocket that crashed on Sunday, is a large liquid carrier rocket designed to aid in constructing China’s satellite internet network. Space Pioneer stated that the rocket’s performance is comparable to SpaceX’s Falcon 9, and it is expected to be capable of over 30 launches per year after its first successful flight.
This accident comes just days after China’s Chang’e-6 lunar module returned to Earth with the first-ever samples from the far side of the moon. The mission was a significant milestone in China’s ambition, as articulated by Chinese leader Xi Jinping, to establish the country as a dominant space power. This comes at a time when several countries, including the United States, are also intensifying their lunar exploration efforts.
