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On June 30, 2024, a catastrophic failure occurred during a static fire test of the Tianlong-3 medium-lift orbital launch vehicle by China’s Space Pioneer.
The rocket, intended for a static fire test, unexpectedly lifted off and crashed, causing a significant explosion.
The incident was attributed to a structural issue at the connection between the rocket body and the test bench, leading to an automatic shutdown by the onboard computer.
Despite the severity of the event, no casualties were reported. This failure has raised concerns about the safety protocols and future of Space Pioneer’s orbital launch plans.
VIDEO
Wow. This is apparently what was supposed to be a STATIC FIRE TEST today of a Tianlong-3 first stage by China's Space Pioneer. That's catastrophic, not static. Firm was targeting an orbital launch in the coming months. https://t.co/BY9MgJeE7A pic.twitter.com/L6ronwLW1N
— Andrew Jones (@AJ_FI) June 30, 2024
