Chinese Rocket Tianlong-3 Crashes After Accidental Launch During Ground Test

Beijing: A Chinese rocket, Tianlong-3 crashed on Sunday after an accidental launch during a ground test, its company Space Pioneer said in a statement, CNN reported. As per CNN’s report, the incident happened when the first stage of the Tianlong-3 rocket detached from its launch pad during a test due to a structural failure. The rocket subsequently landed in a hilly area of the city of Gongyi, central China.

As per the company’s statement, there were no injuries after the crash as people in the area were evacuated in advance of the rocket test. “Due 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,” Space Pioneer, also known as Beijing Tianbing Technology, said.

“After 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.”

Tianlong-3, the rocket that crashed on Sunday, is a large liquid carrier rocket. It was made to help construct China’s satellite internet network.