Chinese Rocket Tianlong-3 Crashes After Accidental Launch During Ground Test

On Sunday, a Chinese rocket named Tianlong-3 crashed following an accidental launch during a ground test, according to a statement from its manufacturer, Space Pioneer, as reported by CNN. The incident happened when the first stage of the rocket detached from its launch pad due to a structural failure, causing it to land in a hilly area of Gongyi city in central China.

Space Pioneer, a prominent company in the commercial rocket industry that focuses on liquid-propellant rockets, explained that the connection between the rocket body and the test platform failed. This failure led to the first-stage rocket separating from the launch pad.

“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,” Space Pioneer, also known as Beijing Tianbing Technology, stated. “After liftoff, the onboard computer 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 disintegrated upon impact.”

Fortunately, there were no injuries reported as people in the area had been evacuated before the test.

In April 2023, Space Pioneer successfully launched its Tianlong-2 rocket, becoming China’s first commercial launch operator to send a liquid carrier rocket into orbit, according to state media reports cited by CNN.

The Tianlong-3 rocket, which crashed on Sunday, is a large liquid carrier rocket designed to help build China’s satellite internet network. Space Pioneer claims that the Tianlong-3’s performance is comparable to SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and that it will be capable of launching over 30 times per year after its first successful flight.

This accident occurred 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. This mission was a significant milestone in China’s goal, as expressed by Chinese leader Xi Jinping, to become a leading space power. It comes at a time when several countries, including the United States, are also increasing their lunar exploration efforts.