China Roundup – Tianlong-3 Fire Anomaly, Chang’e 6 Return, Next-

Over the past few weeks, China’s spaceflight program has witnessed both triumphs and setbacks. On the positive side, the Chang’e 6 mission successfully retrieved lunar samples from the far side of the Moon, marking a historic achievement. A total of 1,935.3 grams of lunar regolith was returned to Earth, surpassing the amount collected by the previous Chang’e 5 mission.

Furthermore, China conducted a static fire test of three engines integrated into the core stage of its upcoming Moon rocket, the Chang Zheng 10. The test proceeded normally, validating the necessary components and subsystems for this pivotal rocket designed to facilitate China’s plans for human exploration on the Moon.

However, the country also experienced some concerning incidents. During a static fire test of Space Pioneer’s Tianlong-3 rocket, the vehicle unexpectedly released from the test stand and crashed nearby, resulting in a massive explosion. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, but the incident has cast doubt on the future of Space Pioneer and may delay the Tianlong-3’s planned maiden launch.

Additionally, the launch of a Chang Zheng 2C rocket carrying the SVOM X-ray telescope caused concern when the rocket’s booster stage crashed into a village along its downrange path. The use of hypergolic propellants heightened safety concerns, and videos of the incident garnered international attention.

Amidst these recent events, China continues to make progress in the development of its next-generation launch vehicles. The Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST) has successfully completed a 12-kilometer hop test of a vertical takeoff-vertical landing (VTVL) prototype vehicle. This marks the highest altitude achieved by any Chinese hopper to date.

The 3.8-meter-wide prototype is powered by three Methalox engines and is likely a scaled-down version of SAST’s planned four-meter-diameter reusable rocket. The next test for the hopper is planned to reach an altitude of 70 kilometers, simulating the full flight profile of the first stage.

SAST’s long-term roadmap involves developing a family of increasingly larger reusable rockets on this platform. The four-meter rocket is projected to feature seven or nine Methalox engines and will be capable of carrying up to 6.5 tons into a Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO). The seven-meter diameter variant aims to incorporate up to 22 of these engines, increasing the payload capacity to 20 tons for SSO missions. Ultimately, the ambitious 10-meter diameter rocket aims to achieve a payload capacity of 100 tons to low Earth orbit.

These developments underscore China’s determination to establish a robust and cost-effective reusable launch vehicle program, potentially rivaling the capabilities of SpaceX’s Starship system. By pursuing this path, China aims to secure a competitive edge in the rapidly evolving commercial space industry while advancing its ambitious deep space exploration goals.