Many videos on social media show a rocket flying to a considerable height and then crashing on a mountain. Shockingly, the explosion seems to have happened close to multi-story buildings. However, the buildings were not occupied at the time of the crash. According to Space Pioneer, the company behind the rocket, the incident happened during a ground test on Sunday, as reported by CNN.
Space Pioneer is a major player in the commercial rocket industry known for its liquid-propellant rockets. The company stated that the first stage of the Tianlong-3 rocket separated from its launch pad due to a structural failure. This failure caused the rocket to land in a hilly area near Gongyi city in central China.
In their statement, Space Pioneer explained that a connection failure between the rocket body and the test platform led to the first-stage rocket detaching from the launch pad. The onboard computer then automatically shut down after liftoff, causing the rocket to fall into the mountains approximately 1.5 kilometers (0.9 miles) southwest of the test platform, where it disintegrated upon impact.
The report claims that there were no injuries reported as people in the area had been evacuated before the test.
In April 2023, Space Pioneer successfully launched its Tianlong-2 rocket, becoming the first Chinese commercial launch operator to send a liquid carrier rocket into orbit. The Tianlong-3, which crashed on Sunday, is designed as a large liquid carrier rocket aimed at constructing China's satellite internet network. Space Pioneer claims the Tianlong-3's performance is comparable to SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and plans to launch it over 30 times per year once successful flights are achieved.
This accident occurred shortly after China's Chang'e-6 lunar module returned to Earth, having collected the first-ever samples from the far side of the moon. The mission marks a significant milestone in China's goal to become a leading space power.