Successful Reusable Rocket Engine Tests for China SpaceX-rival 'Space Pioneer'

Successful Reusable Rocket Engine Tests for China SpaceX-rival 'Space Pioneer'

Private Chinese firm Space Pioneer has taken another key step towards developing reusable rockets: Their Tianlong-3 rocket will be comparable to SpaceX's Falcon 9 in launch capability. The company also has plans to launch an even bigger variant of the Tianlong-3 akin to SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy. 

Recently, Beijing Tianbing Technology Co., also known as Space Pioneer, successfully completed the hot test of the TH-12 liquid oxygen kerosene rocket engine. It was developed for the large-scale liquid carrier rocket, the Tianlong 3. This test fully simulated the product status of the Tianlong 3 rocket during the first flight. The engine remained on the test stand and underwent six consecutive ignitions, with a total test duration exceeding 1,000 seconds. This is over six times the flight time of a single engine.

Recent funding secured by the company is financing the launch of its larger Tianlong-3 rocket with a reusable first stage, rivaling SpaceX. Beijing Tianbing Technology Co. successfully sent its kerosene-oxygen liquid-propellant Tianlong-2 rocket into orbit on April 2, 2023 from the Jiuquan Launch Centre in northwest China, becoming the first private Chinese launch company to send a liquid-propellant rocket into space and taking another step towards developing reusable rockets.

Recent funding secured by Beijing Tianbing is expected to support the launch of the larger Tianlong-3 rocket with a reusable first stage.

Chinese commercial space firms have rushed into the sector since 2014, when private investment in the industry was allowed by the state. Many started making satellites, while others, including Beijing Tianbing, focused on developing reusable rockets that can significantly cut mission costs.

Unlike solid-propellant rockets that cannot adjust their flow of fuel, liquid-propellant rockets have significantly greater control over their flight, with those, such as SpaceX’s Falcon 9, capable of returning to Earth in controlled descents and making vertical landings.

Reusable rockets will help expedite the building of Chinese constellations of commercial satellites that can offer services ranging from high-speed internet for aircraft to tracking coal shipments.

In its latest five-year plan for 2021-2025, the Chinese government has called for an integrated network of satellites for communications, remote sensing and navigation. China currently has over 400 satellites in space, including commercially owned satellites, according to state media.

Video Credit: CNSA Watcher

Duration: 3 minutes, 31 seconds

Release Date: Jan. 15, 2024

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