SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, inspired by Chinese rocket, escapes from test pad and takes off

A Chinese rocket developed by a private company has slipped off the launch pad during an attempted static launch and crashed some distance from the test site. The rocket, Tianlong-3, uses nine kerosene-fueled engines and is designed to land vertically, like SpaceX’s Falcon 9. The latest test comes shortly after footage from China showed a working rocket crashing back to Earth after successfully launching a satellite. Tianlong-3’s manufacturer, Space Pioneer, assured reporters in a statement that no casualties were reported during the test.

China’s Tianlong-3 test rocket escapes from test platform, flies briefly before crashing

Accidents on a static fire test bench are not uncommon. A recent test involving SpaceX saw a Raptor engine from the Starship rocket explode during such a test. While some static shots test the entire rocket, others, like the Raptor engine, use an isolated engine. These engine tests depend on the engineers’ goals, because the one involving the rocket tests the vehicle’s plumbing and other systems, while the engine tests only evaluate the engine design.

With the Tianlong-3 rocket in advanced development and scheduled to take off later this year, Space Pioneer tested the rocket on its launch pad. Images posted on social networks show that although the test seemed successful, disaster struck when the rocket broke away from its test stand. Engineers tested the engines on limited fuel, and although the rocket managed to fly after detaching, it quickly crashed back to Earth, its fuel appearing to run out.

The Tianlong-3 rocket uses nine TH-12 rocket engines to generate 1.7 million pounds of thrust. Its engines use rocket-grade kerosene as fuel. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket also used nine engines. The Falcon 9’s latest engines are called Merlin 1D, and together they enable SpaceX’s rocket to also generate 1.7 million pounds of thrust. Both rockets are also 120 to 125 feet in diameter.

Space Pioneer shared more details about the test accident in a blog post after the incident. He noted that the rocket reached 820 tonnes of thrust during the test firing, and that a structural failure on the launch pad caused it to fly away before landing 1.5 kilometers to the southwest. The company added that Tianlong-3’s onboard computer, responsible for controlling its engines and electronics, shut down after takeoff. The test site is located far from populated areas, according to the company, and it had evacuated all personnel from the site before turning on Tianlong-3’s engines.

Although rockets do not typically depart from the mount during a test launch, at least one such failure has occurred. This occurred when the U.S. military was testing its Viking rocket in the 1950s. The Viking was a sounding rocket powered by solid-fuel rocket motors and generated at least 20,000 pounds of thrust. During a static fire in 1952 at the White Sands Test Range, a Viking 8 booster broke away from the test stand and crashed about 4.5 miles (7 kilometers) southeast of the pad.