Chinese Rocket Tianlong-3 Crashes During Test in Gongyi City

A Chinese rocket, Tianlong-3, crashed on Sunday during a ground test in Gongyi city, central China. The rocket, developed by Space Pioneer, detached from its launch pad due to a structural failure and landed in a hilly area.

Space Pioneer, also known as Beijing Tianbing Technology, explained that the connection between the rocket body and the test platform failed, causing the first-stage rocket to separate from the launch pad. The onboard computer shut down automatically after liftoff, and the rocket disintegrated upon impact.

No injuries were reported as the area was evacuated beforehand. Space Pioneer specializes in liquid-propellant rockets and had previously launched the Tianlong-2 rocket successfully in April 2023, becoming China’s first commercial launch operator to send a liquid carrier rocket into orbit.

The Tianlong-3 was intended to aid in constructing China’s satellite internet network and is comparable in performance to SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. The accident occurred just days after China’s Chang’e-6 lunar module returned to Earth with samples from the far side of the moon, marking a significant milestone in China’s space exploration efforts.