China’s space program has just marked a firm step forward with the successful test of the first stage of the Tianlong-3 rocket. Space Pioneer, the Beijing-based startup responsible for the project, conducted the test on an offshore platform in Shandong province.
For 35 seconds, the nine Tianhuo-12 engines worked together achieving nearly 1,000 tons of thrust. This result brings the Tianlong-3 closer to its first orbital orbital launch.
Private startups and government backing for Tianlong-3
The Tianlong-3 is not competing alone. LandSpace, with its Zhuque-3and the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) with the Long March-12A, are part of the group seeking to consolidate China as a leader in reusable rockets.
While Space Pioneer expects to exceed 30 missions per year, LandSpace is targeting its inaugural launch before the end of the year and Long March-12A maintains its goal of an orbital debut in 2025.
Satellite constellations in play
The real driver behind this competition is the deployment of megaconstellations in low orbit. Projects such as Guowang and Qianfan require thousands of broadband satellites and have so far achieved only a tiny fraction of their targets.
A shortage of launchers limits progress, so the arrival of vehicles such as Tianlong-3 could change the picture.
Competition with spacex
The SpaceX’s Falcon 9 set the benchmark for reusable launchers more than a decade ago. With similar payload capacities-around 18 tons to low orbit-the Tianlong-3 and its direct rivals represent China’s answer to U.S. supremacy. Reusability of the first stages, projected between 10 and 20 cycles, is key to offering more frequent and lower-cost launches.
Last year, a test failure caused the Tianlong-3 to explode, while LandSpace suffered a setback with the Zhuque-2E in July. Even the Long March-12A is facing doubts following a vertical landing test with no public results. These stumbles evidence the complexity of moving toward a new generation of reusable rockets.
Source and photo: myNews