Chinese Rocket Accidentally Launches During Test, Then Crashes

A commercial Chinese rocket accidentally launched during a ground test on Sunday, climbing into the air before crashing into a nearby mountain and exploding in flames, the private company that owns the rocket said.

Because of a “structural failure,” the Tianlong-3 rocket separated from its testing platform while its propulsion system was being tested and lifted off from its launchpad, the rocket’s owner Space Pioneer said in a statement. The accident occurred at 3:43 p.m. local time on Sunday at a test facility in Gongyi city in central China’s Henan Province, the statement said.

After launching, the onboard computer automatically shut down, and the rocket fell into a hilly area about one mile from the test site, the statement said. No one was injured, the statement said, adding that the crash site was far from residential areas and the company had worked with local authorities before the test to evacuate nearby areas.

Videos posted by Chinese news media and on social media appeared to show the rocket climbing before it loses power and plunges, exploding in a nearby hill.

The Gongyi municipal government said in a social media statement that the rocket’s crash started a fire, which had been put out by Sunday evening.

Space Pioneer, also known as Beijing Tianbing Technology, is a major player in China’s commercial space industry, which has expanded rapidly in recent years alongside the government’s growing space ambitions. The Tianlong-3 rocket is built to help construct China’s satellite internet system.

Last month, China became the first country to retrieve rock samples from the far side of the moon. It aims to put a person on the moon before 2030, which would make it the second nation to do so after the United States. And it has successfully launched a mission to Mars and has plans for a future visit to an asteroid.

Last year, Space Pioneer’s Tianlong-2 — Tianlong-3’s predecessor — became the country’s first commercial liquid carrier rocket to successfully enter orbit, according to state media.

According to Space Pioneer, Tianlong-3 is the most powerful carrier rocket currently in development in China. It is comparable to SpaceX’s Falcon 9, the first orbital-class reusable rocket, the company said. Designed to transport crew and cargo into Earth’s orbit, Falcon 9 became the first commercial rocket to launch astronauts into orbit in 2020.