By Abiola Olawale
A space rocket owned by a Chinese private company, Beijing Tianbing, went up nine flames after it accidentally launched itself during a test.
According to an official statement released by the Beijing Tianbing also known as Space Pioneer, the rocket code named Tianlong-3 accidentally left its launch pad due to a structural failure at the connection between the rocket and the test stand.
Viral video footage of the incident sighted by the New Diplomat showed how the rocket soared straight up into the air before losing power and turning horizontally, falling back down to earth and exploding into flames on nearby forested hills.
The company, in addressing the escalation of tension, stated that the rocket had landed in a secure area within the city of Gongyi in central China.
The company has also revealed that initial investigations indicate no fatalities were documented.
Parts of the rocket stage were scattered within a “safe area” but caused a local fire, according to a separate statement from the Gongyi Emergency Management Bureau.
The fire has since been extinguished and no one was hurt, the bureau said.
The two-stage Tianlong-3, “Sky Dragon 3”, is a partly reusable rocket under development by Space Pioneer, one of a small group of private-sector rocket makers that have grown rapidly over the past five years.
Falling rocket debris in China after launches is not unheard of, but it is very rare for part of a rocket under development to make an unplanned flight out of its test site and crash.
According to Space Pioneer, the first stage of the Tianlong-3 ignited normally during a hot test but later detached from the test bench due to structural failure.
A rocket typically consists of several stages, with the first, or lowest, stage igniting and propelling the rocket upwards upon its launch. When the fuel is exhausted, the first stage falls off, and the second stage ignites, keeping the rocket in propulsion.
Space Pioneer says the performance of Tianlong-3 is comparable to SpaceX’s Falcon 9, which is also a two-stage rocket.
