China's Rocket Crashes Explode After Accidentally Launch

UNSPLASH/Forest Katsch ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - China's rocket crashed and exploded after it was accidentally launched during a ground test on Sunday, June 30.

The Space Pioneer said the accident occurred when the first stage of the Tianlong-3 rocket was detached from its launch pad during testing, due to a structural failure. Rockets land in the hilly area of the city of Gongyi in central China.

"Due to a structural failure in the relationship between the rocket body and the test platform, the first phase rocket was separated from the launch pad," said Space Pioneer, also known as Beijing Tianbing Technology, reported by CNN, Monday, July 1.

After taking off, the computer inside died automatically, and the rocket fell into the mountains within 1.5 kilometers southwest of the testing platform. The rocket body fell into the mountain and was destroyed," the statement added.

There were no injuries as a result of the accident, the company said, as people in the area had been evacuated before rocket tests were carried out.

Space Pioneer, a leading commercial rocket company, specializes in liquid-fuel rockets.

In April 2023, China successfully launched the Tianlong-2 rocket, making the company the first commercial launch operator in China to send a liquid-carrying rocket into space and successfully enter orbit, according to state media.

Tianlong-3, the rocket that crashed on Sunday, is a large liquid-carrying rocket made to help build China's satellite internet network.

The performance of these rocket products is comparable to SpaceX's Falcon 9, according to Space Pioneer. It is said that the rocket will be able to launch rockets more than 30 times per year after the rocket's first successful flight.