BEIJING: Beijing Tianbing Technology Co., also known as Space Pioneer, said on Sunday that a section of its Tianlong-3 rocket’s first stage detached from its launch pad during a test, experiencing structural failure and landing in a hilly area near Gongyi in central China.
According to a statement released on its official WeChat account, Beijing Tianbing stated that there were no casualties following an initial investigation into the incident.
The Gongyi Emergency Management Bureau separately confirmed that parts of the rocket stage fell within a designated “safe area” but triggered a local fire. The bureau assured that the fire has been successfully extinguished and no injuries were reported.
The Tianlong-3, nicknamed “Sky Dragon 3,” is a two-stage rocket currently under development by Space Pioneer, a prominent player among China’s growing private-sector rocket manufacturers over the past five years. The rocket is designed to be partly reusable, marking a significant advancement in China’s private space exploration capabilities.
While instances of falling rocket debris in China post-launch are not uncommon, it is exceptionally rare for a rocket under development to unexpectedly detach from its test facility and crash during testing.
Space Pioneer explained that the first stage of the Tianlong-3 rocket ignited as planned during a hot test but subsequently detached from the test bench due to structural issues, landing approximately 1.5 kilometers (0.9 miles) away in hilly terrain.
The performance capabilities of the Tianlong-3 rocket are said to be comparable to SpaceX’s Falcon 9, highlighting China’s ambition to compete in the global space exploration arena.
Previously, in April 2023, Space Pioneer achieved a milestone by launching Tianlong-2, a kerosene-oxygen rocket, becoming the first private Chinese company to send a liquid-propellant rocket into space.
Since the Chinese government allowed private investment in the space industry in 2014, various commercial space companies have emerged, focusing on satellite production and developing reusable rockets aimed at reducing mission costs.
Test facilities for these companies are typically located along China’s coastal regions for safety reasons, although Space Pioneer’s test center in Gongyi, situated in the interior province of Henan, provides an alternative location for conducting rocket tests.
