Chinese rocket Tianlong-3 crashes after accidental launch during ground test
- In Reports
- 11:40 AM, Jul 01, 2024
- Myind Staff
On Sunday, a Chinese rocket, Tianlong-3 crashed after an accidental launch during a ground test, its company Space Pioneer said in a statement.
The first stage of the Tianlong-3 rocket lifted off from its launch pad due to a structural failure at the connection point between the rocket and the test stand, according to a statement from Beijing Tianbing, also known as Space Pioneer, on its official WeChat account.
"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 said.
The rocket later landed in a hilly area of Gongyi city in central China, the statement reported.
"After liftoff, the onboard computer was 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 fell into the mountain and disintegrated."
Video footage from the incident, released by Chinese digital media outlet The Paper, depicted the rocket initially ascending vertically before experiencing a loss of power and tilting horizontally. It then descended back to earth, exploding into flames upon impact in nearby forested hills.
According to the company's statement, there were no injuries reported after the crash because people in the area had been evacuated in advance of the rocket test.
In April 2023, according to state media cited by CNN, Space Pioneer successfully launched its Tianlong-2 rocket, marking China's first commercial launch of a liquid carrier rocket into orbit.
The Tianlong-3 rocket, which crashed on Sunday, is a large liquid carrier rocket designed to support the construction of China's satellite internet network.
Space Pioneer asserts that the performance of Tianlong-3 is comparable to SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. They also claim that after the rocket's initial successful flight, it will be capable of launching over 30 times per year.
The incident occurred just days after China's Chang'e-6 lunar module successfully returned to Earth from space. This mission had collected the first-ever samples from the far side of the moon.
The mission marked a significant milestone in China's pursuit of its "eternal dream," as articulated by Chinese leader Xi Jinping, to establish the country as a leading space power. This achievement coincides with several other countries, including the United States, intensifying their lunar exploration programs.
Image source: CNN
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