A Chinese rocket crashed after being accidentally launched during a ground test Sunday, its company Space Pioneer said in a statement. <\/p>\n
The crash happened when the first stage of the Tianlong-3 rocket detached from its launch pad during a test, due to structural failure. It landed in a hilly area of the city of Gongyi in central China. <\/p>\n
\u201cDue to the structural failure of the connection between the rocket body and the test platform, the first-stage rocket was separated from the launch pad,\u201d Space Pioneer, also known as Beijing Tianbing Technology, said. <\/p>\n
\u201cAfter liftoff, the onboard computer was automatically shut down, and the rocket fell into the deep mountains 1.5 kilometers [0.9 miles] southwest of the test platform. The rocket body fell into the mountain and disintegrated.\u201d <\/p>\n
There were no injuries as a result of the crash, the company said, as people in the area were evacuated in advance of the rocket test. <\/p>\n
Space Pioneer, a leading company in the commercial rocket sphere, specializes in liquid-propellant rockets. <\/p>\n
In April 2023, it successfully launched its Tianlong-2 rocket, making the company China\u2019s first commercial launch operator to send a liquid carrier rocket into space and successfully enter orbit, according to state media. <\/p>\n
Tianlong-3, the rocket that crashed on Sunday, is a large liquid carrier rocket. It was made to help construct China\u2019s satellite internet network. <\/p>\n
The rocket\u2019s product performance is comparable to SpaceX\u2019s Falcon 9, according to Space Pioneer, adding that it will be capable of launching the rocket over 30 times per year after the rocket\u2019s first successful flight. <\/p>\n
The accident comes just days after China\u2019s Chang\u2019e-6 lunar module returned to Earth from space, where it collected the first ever samples from the far side of the moon. <\/p>\n
The mission was a key milestone in China\u2019s \u201ceternal dream\u201d \u2013 as articulated by Chinese leader Xi Jinping \u2013 to establish the country as a dominant space power and comes as a number of countries, including the United States, also ramp up their own lunar exploration programs. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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