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On September 15, 2025, Space Pioneer performed a static fire test of the first stage of its Tianlong-3 rocket on a floating platform in the Yellow Sea, near Shandong Province, China. The rocket stage, measuring 72 meters in height and with a mass equivalent to approximately 600 metric tons at liftoff, was secured to the platform. During the test, the nine engines operated for 35 seconds, producing a combined thrust of nearly 1,100 metric tons. This event represented a key step in the development of reusable launch technology in China, positioning Space Pioneer’s vehicle as a competitor to established systems such as SpaceX’s Falcon 9.
The origins of this achievement trace back to 2019, when Kang Yonglai, an engineer with experience in propulsion systems from government-supported initiatives, established Beijing Tianbing Technology Co., Ltd., operating as Space Pioneer. Prior to this, Kang had held the position of chief technology officer at a company specializing in solid-fuel rockets. He identified a need for increased launch capacity to support China’s expanding space objectives, including satellite constellations, lunar exploration, and interplanetary missions. While state-owned entities like the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation manage the Long March series of expendable rockets, private companies like Space Pioneer aim to provide more flexible and economical alternatives through reusable designs, similar to approaches adopted by SpaceX in the previous decade.
Space Pioneer began operations with initial funding from affiliates of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a team of engineers from state programs. The company secured multiple investment rounds within its first two and a half years, raising substantial capital to support prototype development. Its strategy emphasized learning from existing reusable rocket technologies while adapting them to China’s infrastructure, including government incentives, skilled workforce, and domestic manufacturing capabilities. By 2021, Space Pioneer introduced the Tianlong series of rockets intended for commercial applications, beginning with smaller models and progressing to larger ones. The Tianlong-2, a 30-meter vehicle, achieved suborbital flight in 2023, demonstrating the performance of its methane-liquid oxygen engines under operational conditions.
The Tianlong-3 project commenced in March 2022 to address limitations in China’s medium-lift capabilities. The rocket measures 71 meters in height, with some specifications listing it at 72 meters for operational purposes, and features a 3.8-meter diameter. Its liftoff mass is 590 metric tons, and it employs kerosene and liquid oxygen as propellants. The first stage incorporates nine Tianhuo-12 (TH-12) engines, each generating 890 kilonewtons of thrust at sea level, resulting in a total vacuum thrust equivalent to 8 megawatts. This configuration enables the delivery of 17 metric tons to low Earth orbit in expendable mode or 14 metric tons to sun-synchronous orbit, capacities comparable to those of the Falcon 9, though tailored to support China’s satellite deployment requirements. The second stage uses a single vacuum-optimized TH-12 engine, capable of achieving orbital insertions with accuracy within 5 kilometers. This precision supports the deployment of up to 36 satellites per mission, contributing to networks such as Guowang and Qianfan, which plan for more than 13,000 satellites each.
A distinguishing feature of the Tianlong-3 is its design for reusability. The first stage is engineered for vertical landings, incorporating grid fins, with an expected lifespan of 10 to 20 flights per unit. While not achieving full reusability like some advanced concepts, this partial recovery is projected to reduce costs by 30 to 50 percent. The rocket offers payload fairings in 4.2-meter and 5.2-meter diameters, accommodating payloads up to 3.8 meters in height. The TH-12 engines have undergone extensive testing, accumulating over 1,000 seconds of hot-fire duration by early 2024, including sequences of six ignitions to replicate mission profiles.
The September 2025 test in Haiyang occurred amid growth in China’s commercial space sector, where launch numbers have increased threefold over the past five years. State rockets focus on high-profile missions, while private entities address demand for satellite constellations. The test involved simultaneous operation of all nine engines for 35 seconds, achieving 1,102 metric tons of thrust. No anomalies were reported in vibrations, leaks, or other parameters. Space Pioneer described the outcome as a successful validation of integrated systems, including fuel management, avionics, and structural elements under simulated launch stresses. The company announced this via social media, indicating progress toward operational readiness.
This success followed a prior incident on June 30, 2024, at the Gongyi Engine Test Facility in Henan Province. During a static fire test, the first stage, containing 200 metric tons of propellant, detached from the test stand due to a structural failure in the mounting system. It traveled 1.5 kilometers before impacting the ground and exploding. The test stand, designed for 600 metric tons of force, was damaged by the 820 metric tons of thrust. No injuries occurred, but the event necessitated redesigns of hardware and procedures, incurring delays and additional expenses. Space Pioneer responded by conducting further engine tests totaling over 200 seconds and reconstructing the stage, demonstrating operational adaptability.
In comparison to other systems, the Tianlong-3 shares design elements with the Falcon 9, which has completed over 300 launches since 2010, including routine booster recoveries. Both utilize clustered kerosene-liquid oxygen engines and propulsive landing techniques. The Tianlong-3 leverages publicly available information on reusable technologies and benefits from China’s production efficiencies. Some observers note similarities, while Space Pioneer emphasizes independent advancements suited to local market needs, including support for up to 30 launches annually. Other Chinese competitors include LandSpace’s Zhuque-3, which completed a thrust test in June 2025 and is scheduled for debut in September 2025; Galactic Energy’s Pallas-1; i-Space’s Hyperbola-3; and the state-developed Long March-12A, targeted for late 2025. These efforts collectively aim to increase launch frequency and populate low Earth orbit with domestic hardware by 2030.
The test has implications extending beyond the immediate region. China’s space activities have transitioned from primarily government-led to incorporating commercial elements. The Tianlong-3 supports objectives such as resupplying the Tiangong space station, lunar resource surveys, and establishing satellite networks comparable to Starlink. The Guowang and Qianfan constellations, planning over 26,000 satellites, require efficient launch vehicles, with the Tianlong-3 capable of deploying 36 per flight to alleviate scheduling constraints. Economically, reusable technology may reduce costs to below $2,000 per kilogram, promoting employment at facilities like the Shandong spaceport and contributing to a projected $100 billion sector by the end of the decade.
Challenges remain in implementing reusability, including corrosion from marine environments, material durability for grid fins, and management of cryogenic propellants during descent. Regulatory approvals from bodies such as China’s Civil Aviation Authority require demonstrated safety standards. Geopolitical factors, including U.S. restrictions on technology exports, compel reliance on indigenous development, which can extend timelines. Nevertheless, Space Pioneer’s history includes the Tianlong-2’s successful orbital insertion in 2023, marking the first such achievement by a Chinese private liquid-fueled rocket on its initial attempt.
Following the test, the undamaged booster is being transported to the Wenchang Commercial Spaceport’s Launch Complex 2 for assembly. The inaugural flight is planned for late 2025, operating in expendable mode without recovery, followed by reusable operations on subsequent missions. The payload for the first launch is undisclosed but may involve satellites for sun-synchronous orbit, potentially for the Qianfan network. Future operations anticipate up to 30 missions per year, including potential applications in space tourism and sample return missions from Mars, subject to schedule alignment.
This development reflects Space Pioneer’s progression from initial concepts to operational testing, contributing to China’s role in global space activities. The Tianlong-3 addresses specific needs in launch capacity and cost efficiency, influencing the competitive landscape of reusable rocketry.
10 Best-Selling Books About Elon Musk
Elon Musk
Walter Isaacson’s biography follows Elon Musk’s life from his upbringing in South Africa through the building of PayPal, SpaceX, Tesla, and other ventures. The book focuses on decision-making under pressure, engineering-driven management, risk tolerance, and the interpersonal dynamics that shaped Musk’s companies and public persona, drawing a continuous timeline from early influences to recent business and product cycles.
Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future
Ashlee Vance presents a narrative biography that links Musk’s personal history to the founding and scaling of Tesla and SpaceX. The book emphasizes product ambition, factory and launch-site realities, leadership style, and the operational constraints behind headline achievements. It also covers setbacks, funding pressures, and the management choices that made Musk both influential in technology and controversial in public life.
Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days That Launched SpaceX
Eric Berger reconstructs SpaceX’s earliest phase, when technical failures, schedule slips, and financing risk threatened the company’s survival. The book centers on Musk’s role as founder and chief decision-maker while highlighting engineers, mission teams, and launch operations. Readers get a detailed account of how early launch campaigns, investor expectations, and engineering tradeoffs shaped SpaceX’s culture and trajectory.
Reentry: SpaceX, Elon Musk, and the Reusable Rockets That Launched a Second Space Age
Also by Eric Berger, this book explains how SpaceX pushed reusable rocketry from uncertain experiments into repeatable operations. It tracks the technical, financial, and organizational choices behind landing attempts, iterative design changes, and reliability improvements. Musk is presented as a central driver of deadlines and risk posture, while the narrative stays grounded in how teams translated high-level direction into hardware and flight outcomes.
Power Play: Tesla, Elon Musk, and the Bet of the Century
Tim Higgins examines Tesla’s transformation from a niche automaker into a mass-production contender, with Musk as the primary strategist and public face. The book covers internal conflict, production bottlenecks, financing stress, executive turnover, and the consequences of making manufacturing speed a defining business strategy. It reads as a business history of Tesla that ties corporate governance and product decisions directly to Musk’s leadership approach.
Insane Mode: How Elon Musk’s Tesla Sparked an Electric Revolution
Hamish McKenzie tells Tesla’s story through the lens of product launches, market skepticism, and the organizational strain of rapid scaling. Musk appears as both brand amplifier and operational catalyst, while the narrative highlights the role of teams and supply chains in making electric vehicles mainstream. The book is written for nontechnical readers who want context on EV adoption, Tesla’s business model, and Musk’s influence on expectations in the auto industry.
Ludicrous: The Unvarnished Story of Tesla Motors
Edward Niedermeyer offers an investigative look at Tesla’s early and mid-stage growth, emphasizing the tension between engineering reality, marketing narratives, and investor expectations. Musk’s leadership is examined alongside product delays, quality concerns, and strategic messaging, with attention to how a high-profile CEO can shape both market perception and internal priorities. The result is a critical business narrative focused on what it took to keep Tesla expanding.
SpaceX: Elon Musk and the Final Frontier
Brad Bergan presents an accessible overview of SpaceX’s development and its place in the modern space industry, with Musk as the central figure connecting financing, engineering goals, and public messaging. The book describes major programs, launch milestones, and the economic logic of lowering launch costs. It also situates Musk’s influence within the broader ecosystem of government contracts, commercial customers, and competitive pressure.
The Elon Musk Method: Business Principles from the World’s Most Powerful Entrepreneur
Randy Kirk frames Musk as a case study in execution, product focus, and decision-making speed, translating observed patterns into general business lessons. The book discusses leadership behaviors, hiring expectations, prioritization, and the use of aggressive timelines, while keeping the focus on how Musk’s style affects organizational output. It is positioned for readers interested in entrepreneurship and management practices associated with Musk-led companies.
Elon Musk: A Mission to Save the World
Anna Crowley Redding provides a biography-style account that emphasizes Musk’s formative experiences and the stated motivations behind Tesla and SpaceX. The book presents his career as a sequence of high-stakes projects, explaining how big technical goals connect to business choices and public visibility. It is written in clear language for general readers who want a straightforward narrative of Musk’s life, work, and the controversies that follow disruptive companies.
10 Best-Selling SpaceX Books
Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days That Launched SpaceX
This narrative-driven SpaceX history focuses on the company’s earliest, most uncertain years, following the engineering, leadership, and operational decisions behind the first Falcon 1 attempts. It emphasizes how tight budgets, launch failures, and rapid iteration shaped SpaceX’s culture and set the foundation for later achievements in commercial spaceflight and reusable rockets.
Reentry: SpaceX, Elon Musk, and the Reusable Rockets that Launched a Second Space Age
Centered on the push to land and reuse orbital-class boosters, this book explains how SpaceX turned Falcon 9 reusability from a risky concept into a repeatable operational system. It connects engineering tradeoffs, test failures, launch cadence, and business pressure into a clear account of how reuse affected pricing, reliability, and the modern launch market.
SpaceX: Making Commercial Spaceflight a Reality
Written in an accessible explanatory style, this overview links SpaceX’s design philosophy to outcomes such as simpler manufacturing, vertically integrated production, and faster development cycles. It also frames how NASA partnerships and fixed-price contracting helped reshape the U.S. launch industry, with SpaceX as a central example of commercial spaceflight becoming routine.
SpaceX: Starship to Mars – The First 20 Years
This SpaceX book places Starship in the broader arc of the company’s first two decades, tying early Falcon programs to the scale of fully reusable systems. It explains why Starship’s architecture differs from Falcon 9, what has to change to support high flight rates, and how long-duration goals like Mars transport drive requirements for heat shields, engines, and rapid turnaround.
SpaceX’s Dragon: America’s Next Generation Spacecraft
Focusing on the Dragon spacecraft family, this account explains capsule design choices, cargo and crew mission needs, and how spacecraft operations differ from rocket operations. It provides a readable path through docking, life-support constraints, recovery logistics, and reliability considerations that matter when transporting people and supplies to orbit through NASA-linked programs.
SpaceX: Elon Musk and the Final Frontier
This photo-rich SpaceX history uses visuals and concise text to trace milestones from early launches to newer systems, making it suitable for readers who want context without technical density. It highlights facilities, vehicles, and mission highlights while explaining how Falcon 9, Dragon, and Starship fit into SpaceX’s long-term strategy in the private space industry.
SpaceX From The Ground Up: 7th Edition
Designed as a structured guide, this book summarizes SpaceX vehicles, launch sites, and mission progression in a reference-friendly format. It is especially useful for readers who want a clear overview of Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, Dragon variants, and Starship development context, with an emphasis on how launch services and cadence influence SpaceX’s market position.
Rocket Billionaires: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and the New Space Race
This industry narrative explains how SpaceX emerged alongside other private space efforts, showing how capital, contracts, and competitive pressure influenced design and launch decisions. SpaceX appears as a recurring anchor point as the book covers the shift from government-dominated space activity to a market where reusable rockets and rapid development cycles reshape expectations.
The Space Barons: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and the Quest to Colonize the Cosmos
This book compares leadership styles and program choices across major private space players, with SpaceX as a principal thread in the story. It connects SpaceX’s execution pace to broader outcomes such as launch market disruption, NASA partnership models, and the changing economics of access to orbit, offering a balanced, journalistic view for nontechnical readers.
Space Race 2.0: SpaceX, Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, NASA, and the Privatization of the Final Frontier
This wide-angle look at privatized space activity places SpaceX within an ecosystem of competitors, partners, and regulators. It clarifies how NASA procurement, launch infrastructure, and commercial passenger and cargo missions intersect, while showing how SpaceX’s approach to reuse and production scale helped define expectations for the modern commercial spaceflight era.
