In central China, a rocket, the likes of SpaceX, crash landed during a ground test on Sunday. This was due to structural failure, the rocket’s manufacturer, Space Pioneer, said in a statement.
The crash took place when the first stage of the Tianlong-3 rocket separated from its launch pad during a test, owing to a structural failure. It reportedly crashed in a hilly area of the city of Gongy in central China.
“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, also known as Beijing Tianbing Technology, told CNN.
“After liftoff, the onboard computer was automatically shut down,” according to the company, “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.”
There were apparently no injuries resulting from the crash, the company told CNN, due to the fact that people were evacuated from the area in advance of the rocket test. Space Pioneer, a top company in the commercial rocket space, specializes in liquid-propellant rockets.
The firm successfully launched its Tianlong-2 rocket in April last year, making it China’s first commercial launch operator to send a liquid carrier rocket into space and successfully enter orbit, according to state media.
China’s “SpaceX” rocket
The rocket that came crashing down on Sunday. Tianlong-3 is a large liquid carrier rocket. It was manufactured in the hope of constructing China’s satellite internet network.
According to Space Pioneer, the rocket’s product performance is comparable to SpaceX’s Falcon 9. It will be capable of launching the rocket over 30 times per year after the rocket’s first successful flight.
The crash took place just days after China’s Chang’e-6 lunar module returned to Earth from space, where it collected the first ever samples from the far side of the moon.
The mission was a major milestone in China’s “eternal dream,” as phrased by Chinese leader Xi Jinping, to establish the country as a superior space power. This comes as several nations, including the US, are also upping their lunar exploration efforts.
In other space-related news, NASA has awarded SpaceX a $843 million contract to develop a spacecraft specifically designed to push the International Space Station (ISS) out of orbit when it reaches retirement around 2030.
“We have selected SpaceX to develop and deliver the US Deorbit Vehicle and prepare for a safe and responsible deorbit of the Space Station after the end of its operational life in 2030,” said NASA on X.
This “deorbit vehicle” will ensure a controlled descent of the massive station, avoiding any risk to populated areas on Earth, NASA announced.