Beijing’s privately-owned “Sky Soldiers Technology,” once hailed as a flagship in civilian enterprises, recently conducted a test on the propulsion system of a carrier rocket, resulting in an unexpected incident where a sub-tier rocket detached from the launch pad, soared into the air, and crashed and exploded upon descent. Analysts believe that this mishap was due to a simple “low-level error.” The so-called civilian aerospace firms in China actually have deep ties to the Chinese Communist military. By using civilian enterprises as a cover, the CCP deceives the West to gain access to advanced technology, but under the Party’s ultimate control, accidents are bound to happen sooner or later.
On Sunday, the privately-owned aerospace company in China, “Sky Soldiers Technology,” was conducting a static testing of the carrier rocket propulsion system for the Tianlong-3 rocket at the Gongyi Comprehensive Test Center in Henan Province. During the test, a sub-tier rocket accidentally ascended and exploded in mid-air, eventually crashing in the deep mountains.
The Tianlong-3 is a large liquid-fueled carrier rocket specifically designed by Sky Soldiers Technology for the construction of China’s satellite internet constellation. Its performance directly challenges that of the Falcon 9 carrier rocket from the United States-based SpaceX.
This prototype carrier rocket has a diameter of 3.8 meters, a liftoff mass of 590 tons, a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) capacity of 17 tons, and a Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO) capacity of 14 tons.
Following the failed test, Sky Soldiers Technology issued a statement stating, “During the test, a sub-tier rocket ignited normally, with an engine thrust of 820 tons.” They explained that “due to a structural failure at the connection point between the rocket and the test stand, the sub-tier rocket detached from the launch pad.” “Upon ascent, the rocket’s computer shut down automatically, causing the rocket to fall in the deep mountains 1.5 kilometers southwest of the test stand, where it disintegrated upon impact.”
Sky Soldiers Technology announced that they will analyze and resolve the accident and swiftly organize the production and testing of new products.
Videos released by several residents of Gongyi city in Henan Province captured the rocket debris falling rapidly from the sky at a horizontal angle, emitting black smoke, before crashing with a sizable explosion on the mountainside facing away from the urban area.
According to reports, the local government had instructed residents to evacuate before the rocket launch. However, the explosion produced a deafening sound, shattering windows in nearby villages.
The incident has sparked discussions online, with netizens commenting, “No apology for such a dangerous incident?” “Truly Sky Soldiers.” “They call this keeping away from urban areas? Are we blind?” “This is the most absurd incident in the history of aerospace! The Tianlong-3 rocket undergoing full system hot testing in Gongyi, Henan, could fly out directly, and even exploded so close to residential areas, making international headlines!”
Commenting on the incident at Sky Soldiers Technology, television host Tang Jingyuan stated that the accident was not due to technological immaturity but rather a “very simple low-level error.”
“This static hot test of the rocket propulsion system typically requires the rocket to be tightly fixed on the test stand. However, during this sub-tier propulsion system hot test, the system responsible for securing the rocket to the test stand malfunctioned, leading to the rocket’s accidental ascent.”
“The original plan was to conduct a static test, which essentially mandates that the rocket remain fixed in place and not move. It is just to test the engine’s performance, among other things. However, an elemental mistake occurred; they failed to secure the rocket in place. Officially, they claimed that there was a loosening of the mechanism that connects the rocket body to the hook fixing it, resulting in the entire rocket detached and launched unexpectedly.”
“This is actually a simple incident attributable to quality or responsibility failure.”
Tang Jingyuan believed that the biggest disparity between the Chinese Communist and the leading aerospace countries like the U.S. is not just some technological aspects but also in quality management, related personnel’s sense of responsibility, at the very least, professional ethics, which are crucially interlinked.
Since 2014, the CCP has allowed private capital to invest in the aerospace sector. Public data indicates that Beijing Sky Soldiers Technology Co., Ltd., established on April 10, 2019, is the first national high-tech enterprise in China’s commercial aerospace sector to develop liquid oxygen kerosene rocket engines and large liquid carrier rockets. Sky Soldiers Technology mimics American companies, with their product performance benchmarked against the Falcon 9 of SpaceX.
Political commentator Lan Shu told Epoch Times that although the CCP has permitted private enterprises to participate in space activities for quite some time, all these “private” enterprises have official backgrounds.
“Based on our understanding, from the origin of their funds to the fact that many so-called private companies were actually formed from within the CCP’s national space program to start private enterprises and obtained support from the official banks of the CCP to develop these aerospace projects.”
“Moreover, many of the so-called private aerospace companies are equipped with security personnel with CCP backgrounds, which is an interesting phenomenon. Therefore, it is difficult to determine if these so-called private Chinese aerospace projects are genuine private enterprises.”
Tang Jingyuan also pointed out that although Sky Soldiers Technology is positioning itself against SpaceX, the reality within China is that regular private enterprises cannot truly engage in space technology.
Initially, Sky Soldiers Technology launched carrier rockets from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu Province. A quick fact check reveals that the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center is affiliated with the CCP’s military aerospace force. The launch pad (LC-120) used to launch the Sky Soldiers Technology’s Tianlong-2 rocket is being prepared for launching the Tianlong-3 rocket.
Tang Jingyuan stated, “The Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center is entirely a part of the CCP’s military.” “Therefore, Sky Soldiers Technology, at its core, is a product of the CCP’s military-civilian integration strategy, meaning it is fully under official control and may involve personnel, technology, and equipment with military backgrounds.”
He added, “The CCP’s intentions are clear, having draped a private enterprise veneer to fraudulently acquire Western technology through this method. They want to trick themselves into obtaining advanced aerospace enterprises and technologies from the West.”
“However, this military-civilian integration product, not the market-oriented approach like SpaceX’s successful model, is entirely different. Therefore, from this perspective, it is impossible to replicate SpaceX’s success.”
The accidental occurrence during the large-scale static test of the Tianlong-3 represents the second recent aerospace incident. Earlier, on June 22, the Long March 2-C carrier rocket was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province, and shortly after the launch, a booster seemingly fell directly from the sky over Xianqiao Village in Guizhou Province, emitting what seemed to be a large toxic yellow smoke, and videos showed villagers fleeing.
Tang Jingyuan analyzed that behind these leaps in aerospace technology reflects the CCP’s centralized approach to conducting major ventures, reflecting the essence of a national system. That is to say, a company like Sky Soldiers Technology, despite wearing the facade of a private enterprise, still embodies the manifestation of this national system.
“This national system necessitates complete CCP control, dictating that the Party’s leadership, meeting the political needs of the CCP, takes top priority, which means it is destined to conflict with the very technology itself, which fundamentally requires adherence to scientific laws as its primary concern.”
He emphasized, “Not only in aerospace but in other sectors as well, such as chips and AI, all high technologies require innovative thinking and capabilities, but the CCP relies on counterfeiting and imitation, devoid of its own innovative capacity.”
“This prioritization of the Party’s leadership over everything, in direct conflict with a philosophy that puts innovation first, has doomed them to impossibility, and encountering problems is only a matter of time.”