China’s SpaceX Falcon 9 Inspired Tianlong-3 Rocket Escapes Test Pad, Crashes

During a static fire test, China's Tianlong-3 rocket, developed by Space Pioneer, unexpectedly escaped its test stand and crashed 1.5 kilometers away. The incident, which was captured on social media, occurred in the final development phase, and no casualties were reported.

China’s Tianlong-3 Rocket Breaks Free from Test Pad, Crashes in Final Development Stage; No Injuries Reported

As Wccftech reported, a Chinese rocket developed by a private company eluded the launch pad and impacted a considerable distance from the test site. The Tianlong-3 rocket, intended to land vertically, is powered by nine kerosene engines, similar to SpaceX's Falcon-9. This most recent test occurred shortly after footage from China revealed that an operational rocket crashed on Earth after successfully launching a satellite. Space Pioneer, the manufacturer of Tianlong-3, confirmed in a press release that no casualties were reported during the test.

Accidents on a static fire test stand are not uncommon. During a recent test conducted by SpaceX, a Raptor engine for the Starship rocket exploded. In specific static launches, such as the one for the Raptor engine, an isolated engine is employed while others test the entire rocket. The objectives of the engineers determine the nature of these engine tests. The rocket test evaluates the vehicle's infrastructure and other systems, whereas the engine test solely evaluates the engine's design.

Space Pioneer was conducting rocket testing at its pad because the Tianlong-3 is currently in the final phases of development and was anticipated to be launched later this year. Although the test appeared to be successful, disaster struck when the rocket detached from its test stand, as evidenced by footage from social media platforms. Engineers tested the engines with a limited amount of fuel. Although the missile could take flight after it became loose, it plummeted to Earth shortly after that as it appeared to have exhausted its fuel supply.

Tianlong-3 Rocket Tests 1.7 Million Pounds of Thrust, Crashes Due to Launch Pad Failure

The Tianlong-3 employs nine TH-12 rocket engines to produce 1.7 million pounds of thrust. The fuel for its engines is rocket-grade kerosene. Similarly, SpaceX's Falcon 9 employs nine engines. The Merlin 1D engines, the most recent additions to the Falcon 9, facilitate the production of 1.7 million pounds of propulsion. Additionally, both rockets have a diameter of 37 to 38 meters.

Following the incident, Space Pioneer published additional information regarding the test accident in a blog post. It detailed that the rocket achieved 820 tons of thrust during the test launch, and a structural failure on the launch pad resulted in its flight before landing 1.5 kilometers southwest. After liftoff, the onboard computer of Tianlong-3, responsible for operating its engines and electronics, was turned off, according to the company. The firm evacuated all personnel from the test site before igniting Tianlong-3's engines, which were far from populated areas.

Although it is not uncommon for rockets to escape from the stand during a test discharge, there has been at least one previous instance of this type of malfunction. This occurred during the 1950s when the United States military conducted tests on its Viking missile. The Viking was a sounding rocket that produced a minimum of 20,000 pounds of thrust and was propelled by solid-fuel rocket motors. In 1952, a Viking 8 booster ejected from the test stand and crashed approximately 7 kilometers southeast of the pad at the White Sands test facility during a static firing.

Photo: Microsoft Bing