A rocket made by a private Chinese aerospace manufacturer was accidentally launched on Sunday and crashed into a mountain, the company said.
Space Pioneer, also known as Beijing Tianbing Science and Technology, was attempting a ground test of its Tianlong-3 rocket when a “structural failure” caused the rocket to separate from the launch pad. statement According to information obtained by CNN.
“The first stage of the rocket separated from the launch pad due to structural failure at the connection between the rocket body and the test platform,” the company said in a statement.
“After launch, the onboard computer automatically shut down and the rocket fell into the mountains 1.5 kilometers away. [0.9 miles] Southwest of the test platform. The rocket body fell into the mountain and broke apart.
Videos shared by onlookers on social media showed the rocket being launched, then falling and exploding.
Wow. Apparently this is a static test firing of the first stage of the Tianlong-3 rocket that China’s Space Pioneer was planning to conduct today. This one wasn’t static, it was catastrophic. The company was aiming for an orbital launch within the next few months. https://t.co/BY9MgJeE7A pic.twitter.com/L6ronwLW1N
— Andrew Jones (@AJ_FI) June 30, 2024
From another perspective, I hope there are no casualties, this is really amazing, and this is phenomenal because Space Pioneer is already in orbit with Tenryu 2. https://t.co/QlQT13FNtI pic.twitter.com/F58tJhVoRJ
— Andrew Jones (@AJ_FI) June 30, 2024
No injuries were reported in the accident.
CNN described Space Pioneer, which is working to develop reusable orbital rocket technology, as a “leading company” in the commercial rocket industry.
In April 2023, the company announced the successful launch of the Tianlong-2 rocket, China’s first liquid-fuel rocket by a commercial operator. Chinese Government.
The rocket that crashed on Sunday was reportedly built to help build the country’s satellite internet network.
