A Chinese commercial rocket, the Tianlong-3, accidentally launched during a ground test in Gongyi city, Henan Province, on Sunday, exploding in flames after crashing into a nearby mountain. The rocket’s owner, Space Pioneer, cited a “structural failure” for the incident, which occurred during a propulsion system test. Videos of the accident showed the rocket climbing before losing power and plunging into the hill.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported, as the crash site was far from residential areas and nearby areas had been evacuated prior to the test. The rocket’s crash caused a fire, which was extinguished by the evening. While the accident occurred during a static fire test, which is routine, astrophysicist Brad Tucker noted that this type of failure is rare. China’s commercial space industry, though young, has been rapidly expanding alongside the government’s space ambitions.
Space Pioneer, a major player in China’s commercial space industry, had previously successfully launched the Tianlong-2. The Tianlong-3, currently in development, is designed to assist in constructing the country’s satellite internet system. The incident came just weeks after China became the first country to retrieve rock samples from the far side of the moon.
Despite the setback, China’s space program continues to advance, with plans to put a person on the moon before 2030 and successful missions to Mars. Space Pioneer aims to develop the Tianlong-3 to be comparable to SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, which made history as the first commercial rocket to launch astronauts into orbit in 2020.
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