A private commercial aerospace company in China experienced an unexpected accident during the static test of a large carrier rocket propulsion system on Sunday (30th). One of the sub-level rockets actually detached from the launch pad, ascended into the sky, and shortly after fell back to the ground where it exploded, causing the shockwave to shatter the glass in nearby villagers’ homes.
Many netizens in mainland China reported hearing a loud bang in Gongyi City, Henan Province on June 30th, claiming that an object fell from the sky and exploded upon impact with the ground.
According to some netizens who shared videos, around 3 p.m. on the 30th, they heard an explosion, saw an object falling from the sky, and then heard another explosion. Videos filmed by some netizens clearly showed a cylindrical object with flames falling to the ground in an arc. Some claimed that the final landing spot was near Qinglong Mountain, where the explosion occurred.
In the video footage, it was shown that the crash site of the rocket was very close to the urban area of Gongyi City, causing concerns among residents about potential harm to nearby residents from the rocket’s fall and explosion.
The statement explained that during the test of the “Sky Dragon III,” a sub-level rocket ignited normally, but due to structural failure at the connection point between the rocket body and the test stand, the sub-level rocket detached from the launch pad. After ascending, the rocket fell into a deep mountain 1.5 kilometers southwest of the testing platform and disintegrated upon impact. Fortunately, no casualties were reported after investigation.
However, a villager from Xuezhuang Village in Dayugou Town, Gongyi City, stated that the launch site of the rocket was only a mile away from her house. The local village committee had organized the evacuation of residents in advance.
The villager provided chat screenshots showing that village officials issued a notice stating, “Following government instructions, the ‘Sky Soldier’ test will be conducted at 2 p.m. today. Evacuation was completed by 10 a.m. this morning, and residents should stay away for two days (until further notice).”
She further mentioned that all residents were evacuated before the rocket exploded, causing a loud bang that shattered glass in nearby villages. She now resides in another village, awaiting notification to return.
Neither the aforementioned villager nor the company, Sky Soldier Technology, clarified whether affected villagers would receive compensation.
The incident of the “Sky Dragon III” rocket unexpectedly detaching from the launch pad and exploding upon landing has sparked attention and discussion among internet users.
A Weibo user named “Blood Banners” expressed, “Sky Soldier Technology was too amateur this time.”
The article explained, “The essence of developing rocket explosions is essentially exposing core problems through controllable radical launches. What’s key here? Even old horses (referring to Elon Musk) exploding rockets have specially built launch pads with few people around them; and they have a rough estimate of the seriousness of the rocket explosion beforehand, with decent safety measures in place.”
“The accident of ‘Sky Dragon III’ in Gongyi, Henan, occurred during the static test of nine first-level engines on the ground when the ground fixing device failed to secure the rocket properly. It ended up going up to the sky recklessly without any preparation, breaking through the final safety measure, swiftly losing control, and then exploding in the mountains.”
The article asserted, “Without prior launch preparations, Gongyi is merely a ground test site, not a launch site, lacking the necessary launch conditions. With failed in-progress safety measures, it recklessly went to the sky and exploded. The personnel, Gongyi residents, and onlookers were all dumbfounded, indicating a highly unprofessional and foolish mistake; we can only pray there were no casualties.”
Additionally, the Weibo user noted, “This rocket should not have launched in Henan today. Originally scheduled for the first flight in June, it was unexpectedly launched in June due to various reasons, delayed to September for the first flight in Hainan. Never would we have thought: it still launched in June.”
According to Sky Soldier Technology, Beijing “Sky Dragon III” is a large liquid carrier rocket tailored for the construction of China’s satellite internet constellation, with product performance comparable to the reusable Falcon 9 carrier rocket from SpaceX in the United States. The propulsion system test for the “Sky Dragon III” carried out nine TH-12 engines on a sub-level, making it the highest thrust power system test during China’s current carrier rocket development.
Despite Sky Soldier Technology claiming to be a private commercial aerospace company, previous rounds of financing data indicate that the investors of the company include state-owned enterprises under the Chinese Communist Party, including CCTV Fund, Citic Securities Investment, CICC Capital, and ICBC International.
Coinciding with the incident involving the Sky Soldier Technology company’s carrier rocket, the American company SpaceX successfully launched a satellite.
On June 25th, SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket (derived from the Falcon 9 model) launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, delivering a U.S. geostationary operational environmental satellite (GOES-U) into orbit.
Furthermore, SpaceX is currently developing a larger rocket, the Starship, intended for launching satellites in the coming years and sending astronauts to the moon.