Chinese Rocket Crashes into Mountain After Unexpected Launch

A Chinese rocket, Tianlong-3, unexpectedly launched during a ground test, resulting in a crash into a nearby mountain. This private space venture, Space Pioneer, had intended a static fire test of its booster, but a structural failure led to a premature launch. No casualties were reported, and the rocket fell 1.5km from the test site. Space Pioneer is developing a reusable rocket to challenge SpaceX's Falcon 9, having raised significant funds recently.

The Chinese private space venture, Space Pioneer, encountered an unexpected development during a ground test of its Tianlong-3 rocket on October 27, 2021. Instead of the intended static fire test, a structural failure led to an unplanned launch, resulting in the rocket crashing into a nearby mountain [1]. Fortunately, no casualties were reported.

Space Pioneer, also known as Beijing Tianbing Technology Co., Ltd, is developing a reusable rocket, aiming to challenge SpaceX's Falcon 9 in the market [2]. The company had recently secured significant funding, raising over 1.5 billion yuan ($207 million) from various investors, including private equity firms and state-linked investment vehicles [2]. This funding was expected to contribute towards the first launch of the Tianlong-3 rocket, as well as its mass production and conversion for reusability.

The Tianlong-3 rocket, a two-stage kerosene-liquid oxygen rocket, is designed to be capable of lifting 17 tons of payload to low Earth orbit or 14 tons to 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit [2]. With a diameter of 3.8 meters and a length of 71 meters, it would provide China with significantly increased capacity for launching satellites [2]. This makes the Tianlong-3 the largest commercial rocket close to launch in China, second only to the expendable Long March 5B in terms of capacity to low Earth orbit [2].

Despite the setback, Space Pioneer remains optimistic about the future of its reusable rocket project. The company aims to conduct a static fire test of the Tianlong-3 first stage by the end of June and plans for a first launch in the coming months [2]. This unexpected incident serves as a reminder of the inherent risks and challenges associated with rocket development and testing.

Sources:
[1] Yahoo News. (2021, October 27). Space-Pioneer says part of rocket accidentally launched during ground test. https://www.yahoo.com/news/space-pioneer-says-part-rocket-115142982.html
[2] SpaceNews. (2021, June 6). Space Pioneer raises 207 million for reusable rocket. https://spacenews.com/space-pioneer-raises-207-million-for-reusable-rocket/